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I am excited to be a guest on 3 podcasts today! chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain eating disorders healthcareprofessionals mental health migraine parenting parents psychologist Jun 03, 2022

I am excited to be a guest on 3 podcasts today covering:

Eating disorder myths (for now, check out my program, The Ultimate Eating Disorders Bootcamp for Parents https://www.phoenixrisingwithdrg.com/opt-in)
How we feel when medications fail us
What to do when we are stuck in bed with pain

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Honored to be featured in Rare Revolution Magazine! chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain disabled life mental health psychologist rare disease May 11, 2022

Dr. Melissa Geraghty Psy.D of Phoenix Rising with Dr. G

11 May 2022

Drawing on her own experience of rare disease Dr Melissa Geraghty is on a mission to provide mental health support to those with chronic illness and pain to ensure no one feels alone on their RARE journey.

RARE entrepreneur...

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[Podcast] To the patient who wants to die: A psychologist’s perspective chronic illness chronic pain mental health suicide Jul 06, 2021

It was an honor to be on the KevinMD.com podcast. We discussed my article, “To the patient who wants to die: A psychologist’s perspective.”

https://youtu.be/pTNLmebDPLY

 

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain acceptance & commitment therapy act chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain mental health migraine Jun 15, 2021

Check out my talk on Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain (with a focus on Migraine Disease)!

Therapy can be vital for navigating life with Chronic Illness.

A big thanks to the Association of Migraine Disorders for supporting people with complex neurological diseases.

Watch,...

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The Keyboard Warriors will never Stop—but we can stop Reacting. chronic illness chronic pain disabled life mental health rare disease May 19, 2021

The Keyboard Warriors will never Stop—but we can stop Reacting.

I’ve seen a lot of personal attacks in some online communities, particularly in the chronic pain community.

I have been the brunt of this many times when people make assumptions about me off of a few 100 words. In some of...

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To the patient who wants to die: a psychologist’s perspective chronic illness chronic pain disabled life mental health rare disease suicide Apr 26, 2021

To the patient who wants to die: a psychologist’s perspective

I’ve been there. In my first two years of severe, chronic pain, I was right where you are at. I felt hopeless, mentally exhausted, and didn’t want to keep living with an extreme level of pain anymore. I felt there was...

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Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: My Body Is Trying To Kill Me anaphylaxis chronic illness chronic pain epi pen mast cell disease naughty mast cells rare disease warrior yet another new normal Feb 23, 2021

I thought my time away from social media would be focused on adjusting to not having my infusions due to insurance issues (still an ongoing battle but I’m not dropping it!), but my body had other ideas.

After experiencing anaphylaxis for the first time as well as a bunch of other...

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I Got COVID 9 Months Ago and Still Have Symptoms (Newsweek) chronic illness chronic pain covid disabled life neurosurgery rare disease Dec 16, 2020

My Turn

'I Got COVID 9 Months Ago and Still Have Symptoms'

Dr. Melissa Geraghty
On 12/2/20 at 5:51 AM EST

At the beginning of 2020, when COVID-19 was still only in the peripheries of our awareness, I was recovering from neurosurgery. I have a rare neurological disease, tethered cord syndrome,...

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Today marks the one year anniversary of my neurosurgery. chronic illness chronic pain disabled life neurosurgery rare disease Oct 07, 2020

Originally I had planned to publish a compilation of my experiences with tethered cord syndrome, rare disease diagnosis, neurosurgery, and CSF leak, in time for my one year anniversary. My body and mind are currently not up for this seemingly monumental task, so I will be brief.

I have mixed...

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Check your ableism. I’m not bragging. chronic illness chronic pain disabled life rare disease Sep 17, 2020

Written in 2017. Edited in 2020.

Each day I see more and more ableist attitudes. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have a word to describe this before, or maybe it’s because I have experienced so much ableist trauma that parts of my brain had to block it out. More likely it’s a...

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My body is an a$$hole. chronic illness chronic pain disabled life rare disease Sep 09, 2020

Posted on: Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Written on: Friday, July 24, 2020

My body is an asshole.

You read that correctly. Today is not a day where I am thankful for what my body can still do nor am I reminding myself that this pain flare too shall pass. Today is not a day where I’m using...

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I haven't seen my friends in 6 months due to COVID...but that's my normal. chronic illness chronic pain covid disabled life friendship mental health neurosurgery pain awareness month pandemic rare disease Sep 01, 2020

I was reflecting last night on how I have not seen any friends in person over the past 6 months due to COVID. I chuckled a bit at this thought because, truth be told, quarantine life isn’t much different than my PreCOVID life. Only now, my absence on social outings is just seen as more...

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What’s a pain psychologist? Dr. Melissa Geraghty can explain. chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain longcovid psychologist rare disease Jan 22, 2019

Chronic-Inspire

What’s a pain psychologist? Dr. Melissa Geraghty can explain

By Radha_Inspire

[Some of this article was updated in October 2023]

Dr. Melissa Geraghty is a licensed clinical health psychologist with expertise in pain psychotherapy. She has a deeply personal interest in her...

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When you have chronic pain, and then you become sick. chronic illness chronic pain Jan 02, 2018

A few days ago I was diagnosed with C. diff. I never really heard much about C. diff outside of acquiring it in a hospital setting or people of advanced age contracting it. Oh, was I wrong. “Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-um dif-uh-SEEL), often called C. difficile or C. diff,...

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Dr. G is Featured in the INvisible Project: Migraine Addition (1st Edition). acceptance & commitment therapy chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain psychologist May 01, 2017

 

1st Migraine Edition

Dr. Melissa Geraghty

Channeling her experience, she helps others.


When Melissa Geraghty, Psy.D. was a sophomore in high school, she had her wisdom teeth removed. What should have been a simple procedure led to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) and, eventually,...

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“Medical history and current medications” documents chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain rare disease Apr 01, 2017

 “Medical history and current medications” documents

By Melissa Geraghty, Psy.D.

Create your own and take charge of your health care.

In my personal and clinical experience, when a person has chronic pain, they eventually must see yet another new specialist. Other than the...

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Commitment and Chronic Pain: A Potent Combination acceptance & commitment therapy chronic illness chronic migraine chronic pain rare disease Feb 01, 2016

Commitment and Chronic Pain: A Potent Combination

Power of Pain (iPain) Resource Magazine 2016.
Written By: Dr. Melissa E. A. Geraghty, Psy.D.

Commitment. This word is often thrown about haphazardly. People can feel defensive about it.

Of course I am committed to improving my health! Can’t...

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Living with Chronic Pain chronic illness chronic pain psychologist rare disease Dec 03, 2015

Living with Chronic Pain

By Melissa Geraghty, Psy.D.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that does not dissipate within 3 to 6 months after an injury. It can be unrelenting and very disabling, both physically and psychologically. Chronic pain can further by complicated by acute pain...

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