Chronic Pain Management
Effective chronic pain management involves more than just traditional treatments—it includes learning new strategies and utilizing helpful resources that can make a difference in your life. Below are a variety of resources designed to support your chronic pain management journey and provide you with the tools you need for healing and improved well-being.
Chronic Pain Resources
The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain – August 24, 2021 by Alan Gordon, LCSW: A groundbreaking mind-body protocol to heal chronic pain, backed by new research.
Unlearn Your Pain: A 28 day process to reprogram your brain- January 1, 2022 by MD Howard Schubiner
Curable health App : A Different Approach
To Your Pain; You've tried it all, but the pain remains. Let us show you how Curable is (very) different.US pain Foundation : U.S. Pain Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those who live with conditions that cause chronic pain, as well as their caregivers and care providers.
Patients Rising: Patient Advocate Education & Access to Healthcare
The Mighty - A website and app that is geared toward those who are struggling with health issues
Suicide Prevention
Suicide Prevention - (didihirsch.org): 1-877-7-CRISIS (1-877-727-4747)
Teen Line | Teens Support hotline: 1-800-TLC-TEEN 1-800-852-8336 or Text “TEEN” to 839863
CA Youth Crisis Line | CA Coalition for Youth (calyouth.org): 1-800-843-5200
The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386) or text "START" to 678678
Trans Lifeline – Peer support services, hotline, and resources for transgender people (available 7am - 1am PST): 1-877-565-8860
Support Groups
12 STEP GROUPS:
Support for Older Adults
Senior Concerns:
Contact number: (805) 497-0189
They provide emotional Support and Friendship Connection with weekly phone visits with a volunteer to have friendly conversations and provide communication with the outside world.
Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line
24-Hour Toll-free line: 800-971-0016
LA Warmline:
Contact number: 855-952-9276
Hours: 11:00 pm – 6:00 am everyday
Free confidential overnight telephone support service for loneliness, confusion, substance, mental health concerns and is intended for anyone living in LA county
Senior Support Line: Offering Emotional Support for Seniors
Contact Number: 1-800-235-9980
Free peer support line for seniors in Ventura County who are 60 years of age and older, who are feeling lonely, anxious, isolated, confused, or just want someone to talk to. Provides linkage to other services and weekly calls to speak with their clients.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUPS:
DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) - A peer-based, wellness-focused support group that also provides resources and tools for mental wellness
Postpartum Support International (PSI)- International online post-partum support group
Suicide Attempt Survivors and Lived Experience of Suicide – American Association of Suicidology: online support groups for those that have survived a suicide attempt.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - Peer support groups for people living with mental health condition and Family support groups for family members and loved ones who are impacted by mental illness.
The Yellow Couch Collective - An online community for Black women to gather on-line for support, encouragement, and personal development (monthly or annual fee)
OURSELVES BLACK - An on-line magazine and podcast created by a Black board-certified psychiatrist focused on the mental health of those in the Black community.
Transforming Family - A family support group for families with transgender/gender diverse children/teens/young adults.
Trans Families - A non-profit organization that support transgender people and their families. Trans Families runs parent support groups (including in Spanish), a trans youth leadership program, youth support groups and special topic groups. Trans Families is the organization behind the annual Gender Odyssey conference.
Trans*Lounge - Community support through the Los Angeles LGBT Center for Trans* and gender-expansive folks
Los Angeles LGBT Center (lalgbtcenter.org) - Support groups, housing resources, medical resources (including HRT), and legal resources for the LGBTQIA+ community
Camp Brave Trails - An LGBTQ youth (ages 12-18) leadership camp that offers a summer camp, family camp and year-round programming.
OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center - sliding scale therapist-facilitated grief support groups. Group member are put in small groups with people who experienced similar losses and remain in the same group cohort for about a year. Grievers will not be put into a group until they are past their immediate grieving phase (the first few months after the loss)
The Compassionate Friends Non-Profit Organization for Grief - For the loss of a child at any age.
Comfort Zone Camp: free grief camp for teens and children who has lost a parent, sibling, a caregiver or a significant person.
Pet Loss Partners - sliding-scale cost pet loss support group
Lap of Love- free online support group for pet parents who have lost a pet, anticipating a loss, or unexpected or traumatic loss of pet.
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement – Free pet loss & grief support (aplb.org)
AMHC Support Groups – Asian Mental Health Collective (asianmhc.org) - free online support group for those identifying as Asian.
A NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS APPS/WEBSITES:
For Mindfulness, Meditation, Sleep and Hypnosis:
Calm - a meditation and sleep app that offers a limited free version through their website or downloading their app.
UCLA MARC (Mindful Awareness Research Center) - offers a free mindfulness app, as well as free guided meditations , courses and resources on their website
Ten Percent Happier: Meditation and Mindfulness to Find Happiness - a free limited meditation and sleep app (with in-app purchases)
Simple Habit - a meditation and sleep app that also offer a free downloadable, limited version and an upgraded version for purchase
Insight Timer - a free meditation, yoga and sleep website and app that also offers free on-line wellness talks/teachings
Mesmerize - an audio and visual meditation app that is pretty cool and psychedelic (FYI - there's a user warning if you have epilepsy or are prone to seizures) - there is a free trial for three days and then it requires a monthly or annual subscription fee
Michael Sealy - a YouTube channel of meditation and hypnosis recordings especially helpful for insomnia
iRest Institute - a contemporary adaptation of Yoga Nidra for sleep
For Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) - website with resources for adults, teens and children with ADHD (or their parents)
ADDitude Magazine On-line - free on-line magazine with resources for adults, teens and children with ADHD (or their parents) - print magazine is available for subscription
Focus Keeper - Pomodoro Timer- Time management and productivity app (free with in-app purchases)
Additional Mental Health Apps/Websites:
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - in addition to having peer and family support groups, NAMI offers a lot of great information on-line about different diagnoses and treatments
Daylio - Self-Care Bullet Journal App with Goals, Mood Diary & Happiness Tracker (free with an upgrade option for a fee)
What's Up? - A free (donation-based) mental health app (not to be confused with "Whatsapp") that provides CBT resources and grounding techniques
3 Good Things - A gratitude journal app
Mood Notes: - A mood-tracking app focused on use of CBT skills and self-care (free trial with subscription thereafter)
CBT Thought Diary - A mood journal, CBT thought log and gratitude journal (free with an upgrade option for a fee
Quit Anger - An anger management app that uses CBT, mindfulness, meditation, and grounding techniques
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) - An app that walks you through creation of a Wellness Recovery Action Plan and allows you to send it to people in your support system
The Safe Place - A mental health app geared towards POC (free)
You Feel Like Shit - It's a free, on-line self-care game for when your mental health is leaving you struggling with basic self-care.
* Please note: I am not affiliated with any of the books/apps/websites that is on this resources page.