I spent quite a long time trying to find any correlation between my PN symptoms and stress . . . and I never found any relationship between positive stress and positive symptoms. I think I am more the exception than the rule. I have spent some time trying to figure out why stress does not work that way for me - and I just don't know.

OTOH, I have most definitely found a correlation between negative stress and negative symptoms. That is, when I can relax fairly deeply, my pain sensations are lessened. And this much makes complete sense. I have tried to cultivate that deep relaxation through meditation and some self-hypnotic work. I have achieved some success but not to the point where it has made a significant difference yet in my life . . . such as reducing meds or functioning better.

But there is no question that this is the road I want to travel. I will continue to meditate and am right now exploring other ways to enhance auto-hypnotic relaxation and bring it into my daily life.

The great thing about all mind-body work is that it is basically risk-free. I would encourage anyone with PN to try out some basic strategies and go from there. It is very easy to get started - so many choices . . . classes, professional consultations, tapes and CD's, etc., etc.

For anybody considering . . . I would make one suggestion - if you are new to this kind of thing, it is often useful to start with a goal that is unrelated to your pain. That is, you create a purpose that is about enhancing your well-being and ability to manage your life. Thus, you set the stage for having success rather than failure because you were not able to make the "pain go away."

rafi