Blog entry for:

every day i face many choices and decisions, but for me none is nearly as critical as those that may directly affect my recovery. i know that pain management of a chronic conditions is one that many addicts face daily, for me i had to make that choice almost three years ago. after an automobile accident i started to have migraine headaches everyday. because of what i have learned in recovery i decided then to try alternative method of pain management .
i overcame my fears and prejudices and sought help from practitioners of methods that i considered not much more than snake-oil and patent medicines. although i have never regretted my decision there have been times when i have wanted to return to ‘medical’ doctors and their amazing bag of brightly colored ‘cures’ to get immediate relief. after all i want and expect IMMEDIATE relief from my suffering and do not want to lose the time it takes to treat a ‘flare-up’ with ice, quiet and dark rooms. i have come to realize that as long as these methods do provide relief for me, that starting down the slippery slope of conventional pain management can remain a ‘last ditch’ alternative to the treatment i am now receiving and the major benefit is that i do not have to struggle with my disease and my amazing magnifying mind about how much medicine i need to relieve my physical pain. i cannot however speak for others, and when i am asked for my opinion on this subject i always asked if they have considered alternative methods before starting on the conventional medical solutions for pain management. for me that decision in august of 2002 has been one of the best i have ever made in recovery and i thank GOD that i had the wisdom in that moment to seek information of those who had gone before me and chose to do something different. i am still clean today and yes i still have times when i hurt and reaching into a bottle would provide instant relief but the consequences of that choice are greater than i am currently ready to face.
∞ DT ∞