Welcome Brightcloud,

With twenty years behind you and this disease it is evident that you have grit, courage and determination. The effects of chronic illness and especially CRPS on mental health and sleep are well known and so many of us struggle with them. I have found melatonin at bedtime to be indispensable. I also take an essential fatty acid called palmitoylethanolamide under the brand name PeaPure. I order it online from the Netherlands. It is used for neuropathic pain in Europe. Supposedly helps with the glia. I have not taken any amino acids, feeling like my chemistry is altered enough from a low dose of nortriptyline. I don't want to interfere with the med doing its job.

If you have not seen a therapist they can be very helpful. I worked with a woman who specialized in pain and chronic illness. She used some alternative approaches such as EMDR and hypnosis which I found quite helpful with anxiety and deep sadness. Her knowledge of people with pain was an asset. I felt like talk therapy wasn't a good fit for me cuz I could talk all day about how I feel about CRPS and never resolve anything. If you pursue counseling one of the most important things is to have good rapport. So if you aren't feelin' the love on the first visit look elsewhere. You are not trapped, this is just a rest stop on the journey. I try to manage my expectations for happiness such that I can take a little enjoyment in the smallest of things. A wren took a "bath" in the soil in a flowerpot on my porch today, dirt was flying everywhere. It was so enthusiastic I couldn't help but smile at its own joy. Be kind to yourself....

Sending Healing Love,
Littlepaw