I have another link for you this week which examines how distraction, particularly through the arts, can help to manage symptoms of chronic illness. This could of course be construed as a sweeping statement and I am certainly not saying that every chronic illness can be tamed by use of artistic means. I am certain that those of us with chronic illnesses will readily say that our own conditions vary from day to day, some from hour to hour, and that relief and the methods to get that relief are variable. In other words, conditions are individual and we certainly are.
I have written about British actress Cherylee Houston before. She is in a long running British soap opera, is a chronic pain sufferer, wheelchair user and is the ambassador for Ehlers Danlos Support UK. In this BBC Radio 4 programme she sets out to meet other chronic pain sufferers and to learn how the condition impacts upon their lives, their work and how they use creativity to help themselves. Is pain always a negative experience or can it actually enhance creativity?
Many of us bloggers use writing as a creative way in which to help our own situation – this may be through connecting with others, supporting others in similar situations and reaching out for support ourselves – but more often than not actually writing about our experiences and feelings is a cathartic experience in itself.
Nearly everyone will be able to identify with some part of this programme and I hope that you find it inspiring. Enjoy!
Further reading : The Pain and Performance Artist Martin O’Brien – an essay
Photos from Google Image search
PainPalsBlog 
That does sound really interesting. I’ll see if I can find it on youtube (we don’t have access to British TV over here…)
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