Hello! The first stage of my project is complete. I would like to thank Dr. Woodard for being such a compassionate, patient, and helpful faculty adviser. His help has meant a lot to me. I would also like to thank Dr. Stewart, who will be advising the second phase of my project, in advance for agreeing to help me.
I have finished the short paper I was writing to complete this part of my independent study. In the essay, I discuss some of the theories about why reading and writing literature may serve as effective coping mechanisms for those with chronic pain. I also discuss some of the insights I have gained by writing and revising the five poems I wrote for and published on this blog. Feel free to read it!
I have finished the short paper I was writing to complete this part of my independent study. In the essay, I discuss some of the theories about why reading and writing literature may serve as effective coping mechanisms for those with chronic pain. I also discuss some of the insights I have gained by writing and revising the five poems I wrote for and published on this blog. Feel free to read it!
Also, even though this phase of the project is done, I will probably still post on this blog, so feel free to check it out any time! I will also most likely be publishing my final paper when I complete the last credit of this course (probably in the fall).
My essay is copied and pasted below (I tried embedding it, but this resulted in some very strange formatting, so I will not be able to embed it as a word document). Please click on the "read more" link to see the entire essay.
Essay:
Essay:
Literature: A Healing Tool
For years, doctors assured me I would grow out of the pain disorder I have struggled with my entire life. This disorder, Chronic Migraine Syndrome, encompasses a wide range of migraine experiences, but, for me, it means I have a headache or migraine all of the time. Last year, I realized that the doctors had stopped assuring me that I would outgrow my pain. I did not know how to react to the possibility of lifelong pain, so I realized I needed a way to more fully process my emotions about my chronic pain condition. Many others face a similar problem. While the type and severity of pain varies, around 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, more than the amount of people who have diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and cancer combined (“AAPM”). After conducting research, managing a chronic pain blog, reading pain narratives, and writing to reflect on my own experiences, I have developed a fuller understanding of the ways in which writing and reading literature can help chronic pain patients learn from and cope with the physical and emotional pain that chronic pain conditions often entail.
