I’ve been more than busy this past month working with patients and seeing so many successes as patients return to a “normal” state of life. Being able to enjoy even one day pain free can be an exhilarating experience for someone who has been in constant pain for months or even years. So what is PMA? Is it another illness that you have to worry about. Some insidious condition that you didn’t even know about and now you have to add to what you are already suffering with.
No! PMA stands for “Positive Mental Attitude”. This weekend I was one of the 5 million who migrated to Chicago to be part of the Chicago Cub celebration winning the World Series of Baseball after 108 years of suffering. Now, although I’m from the Chicago area, I’ve been more of a White Sox fan than a Cub supporter. However, I grew up when our television , good old channel 9 WGN, showed both Sox and Cubs games under the famous announcers Jack Brickhouse and Vince Lloyd. They didn’t show sides. They announced both games and loved both teams. I went with the White Sox because my dad was an American League fan. I was happy to see the Cubs finally win.
What in the world is this all leading to and this thing called PMA? Well, at this celebration of over 5 million people there was nothing but joy, happiness, smiles and I could go on with many more adjectives but there was no sadness or crying except for tears of happiness. I was thinking about how many and if there were any Fibromyalgia patients in the crowd. How many people with illnesses were in the crowd. You couldn’t tell because of the elated positive “mind set” of all the people. There were a number of wheel chair people who fit in with the rest of the happy celebrating crowd.
I’m not assuming that PMA is the answer to anyone’s health problems. Your pain and suffering are real. But science has proven that the mind can release chemicals that can be a difference in how your pain and the amount of pain is perceived. You and the people around you can make a positive difference in your condition. When a Fibromyalgia patient enters our clinic we make sure that patient is bombarded with PMA since most of these patients have been fed a diet of negativity. This mental stimulation goes a long way toward the patient’s return to a normal pain free, active mentally clear life. Try the PMA for yourself and those who surround and love you.
Happy Holidays!