Pain Is Really Strange by Steve Haines

As a chronic pain sufferer since I was just fifteen, I have read a lot of literature about the subject and the different types of pain, from my Fibromyalgia to others like, rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma etc. For me, my torn muscle became a widespread pain issue as my body got used to feeling the pain, aches, tiredness and developed with my pre-existing rheumatoid issues.

The pathways in our bodies are very sensitive to change, Pain Is really Strange is spot on!

In the book, the writing is limited but key to the point and is simply written as the diagrams do half the talking too. The colourful diagrams show us many images from nerve pathways in our bodies to the brain and navigate us through the journey of learning the way pain develops as a result of negative things happening to us. The book explains and expands on how overlapping issues in our brains can effect the person we are today as our history, previous life events or trauma, damage or threats to us can result in negative outputs from the stress it puts on our brains and bodies causing pain, stress and other things.

That part of the book may be negative but then we learn some good ways to help overcome and put a positive outlook on life back into our mind and alter our mind-set so we don't dwell on our problems as much. Developing creative hobbies you enjoy, habits and exercise can greatly improve our mind-set and help us feel better.

This book is super, short, to the point and illustrated in a way that isn't childlike but not too professional either so it isn't intimidating for anyone to read. A very handy little book to help anyone understand chronic pain and how strange it is.

Many thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers for sending me a copy to review!

My Battle With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Beckie Butcher

I was kindly sent this from a Goodreads giveaway.

Personally suffering myself from Fibromyalgia, a condition which very often can coincide with chronic fatigue syndrome I felt emotional reading this short insight into Beckie and her diagnosis journey.

I read it and cried and empathised with her journey as she realised her life was changing forever alike me to my own diagnosis.

In this book she talks about her faith a lot too and how she leant on her faith in God to help her through.

Beckie also talks about procedures she had experienced such as Nucca. In a hope to heal her body which unfortunately can't heal completely and is like a rollercoaster of one day being better, worse or manageable at best.

A lovely short insight to CFS and will be sharing it with my family to read as well.