Never give up!

I recently found this obese picture of me from 10 years ago with my nephew. I then recreated it last week to see a comparison. My nephew grew and I shrunk :)  I am sharing this because my greatest wish in all I do is to provide others with hope. Hope is the cornerstone of my book, along with strategies for living well so that dystonia does not dominate your life.

When chronic pain from dystonia began in 2001, it was so debilitating I basically lived on my floor. I was very sedentary and had a very unhealthy lifestyle. I went from an athletic 190 pounds to well over 300 pounds. Depressed, anxiety ridden, and embarrassed, I retreated from the world. The physical and mental pain were killing me. Very sick and fearing the worst I said, "no more! I want to live!" I made a plan and took baby steps, changing one or two things a day in pursuit of health. I began to learn ways to manage my pain and I lost nearly 150 pounds!!

I still have many challenges with dystonia and pain, but it is much better than it once was. It takes a lot of work every day, but I know where it can lead if I don't remain diligent. Please believe that whatever challenge you want to overcome or learn to better live with, be it dystonia, weight issues, or something else, anything is possible. Please never give up!!

Tom Seaman is a Certified Professional Life Coach in the area of health and wellness, and author of the book, Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey, a comprehensive resource for anyone suffering with any life challenge. He is also a motivational speaker, chronic pain and dystonia awareness advocate, health blogger, and volunteers for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) as a support group leader, for WEGO Health as a patient expert panelist, and is a member and writer for Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. To learn more about Tom’s coaching practice and get a copy of his book, visit www.tomseamancoaching.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dystoniabook1 and Instagram