Paintracking

November 7, 2011
As a Ph.D. student at Stanford University in 1994, psychotherapist Barrett began to feel symptoms that led to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes. Through her ordeal, she developed an intricate system of charting changes in her physical, mental, and emotional states to assess the effects of myriad variables (weather, medications, professional and home treatments, lifestyle choices, etc.) on her condition. With great empathy and insight into the prejudices that many patients encounter from physicians and caretakers, as well as their own resistance to exercise and social activities, Barrett urges readers to direct their care through recording patterns that emerge in the up-and-down cycle typical of many chronic pain sufferers. While some may shy from the time-intensive system, others will be encouraged by stories of those who have personalized it to their needs and been able to resume active social lives, improve their sleep, start exercise routines, and make wiser medical decision. She offers numerous strategies for locating and articulating pain; overcoming negative mindsets; increasing quality of life; communicating effectively with medical professionals; coping with chores, travel, and holidays; identifying fraudulent products and services; and smoothing strained family and work relationships. Although Barrett does not promise an end to pain, her encyclopedic guide to leading a satisfying life will help readers tame what she calls “pain’s cruel whims.”

Starred review from February 1, 2012

Psychotherapist Barrett (social work, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) has learned to live with her own chronic pain over many years. Her professional expertise and personal experience perfectly prepare her to help others in the same situation. This book (along with a website, paintracking.com) offers chronic pain sufferers a customizable daily table that helps plot how lifestyle affects pain levels. Consistently capturing daily data, including hours slept, types of exercise or activities undertaken, medications used, and pain levels at day's beginning and end, can inform future day-to-day management: making better days more predictable and bad days more manageable. Barrett includes chapters with ideas about how to best manage a life with chronic pain and explains helpful pain-treating methods, including how to focus and calm your mind, pace yourself, and collaborate with your doctor/mental-health professional. VERDICT This wide-ranging, well-written book aims to empower readers and will be of interest to chronic pain sufferers, care-givers, and health-care professionals. An in-depth look at how individuals can help themselves, this book is a powerful motivator and can help support significant life changes. Highly recommended.--Elizabeth J. Eastwood, Los Alamos P.L. Syst., NM

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2011
Psychotherapist Barrett's compendium of all things necessary to live a full, rewarding life despite suffering chronic pain may seem a bit daunting at first blush. That's OK, because everyone's pain is unique. As she makes clear, pain is too personal an experience to easily fit itself into a tidy niche of all-purpose, one-size-fits-all coping mechanisms. That is why Barrett, a chronic-pain sufferer herself, felt compelled to offer as many options and combinations thereof as she could, so readers can cherry-pick the methods and strategies that best suit their individual needs. Before treating and living, however, a person must first identify, quantify, and track his or her pain, and here Barrett presents a wide variety of tracking options. She cannot stress enough the importance of knowing oneself. It is the basis upon which a rewarding life with chronic pain is built. Barrett's counsel on all things chronic-pain related is important. But it is also great advice for anyone who recognizes that each advancing birthday beyond middle age presents greater physical adjustments.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)