A PhD student in counseling psychology at the University of Maryland is doing her dissertation on chronic pain. She's doing a study about how writing about chronic pain affects mental and physical health. The study will not just help others who live with pain, but also inform researchers on how to better treat chronic pain

Amazing, right? So many of those who live with chronic pain beat our heads against a wall of medical professionals who don't understand. It’s wonderful to hear that someone who will soon be a psychologist is interested in chronic pain and helping to improve the lives of people who live with it. B

The study itself sounds really interesting. It involves completing two surveys and three writing exercises. If you complete the entire study, you'll receive a $15 Amazon gift certificate. NOTE: due to the great response, the researcher can no longer offer Amazon gift certificates. However, participating may still help you and will definitely help others as the study builds more knowledge about chronic pain.

You qualify to participate in the study if you are over the age of 18, have had pain on most days of the month for at least six months and your pain is not caused by a terminal condition, such as stage 4 cancer.

If you meet these criteria and are interested in participating, e-mail at chronicpainstudy@umd.edu. I've already sent off my e-mail and look forward to completing the surveys and writing exercises.

If you're interested, click to read more about this chronic pain study.