How a Pharmacist Came to View Her Chronic Symptoms Through a Radically Different Lens
- Lara Sabella
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
This month’s guest blogger is Lara, a pharmacist (by background) and mind-body coach who writes about her transformational journey using the neuroplastic approach to understand and treat her chronic symptoms.
Hi! My name is Lara. I’m a chronic neuroplastic pain coach and a proud volunteer at Living Proof.
I’ve always been passionate about health and well-being. Even as a child, I found myself reading medication labels for fun. That curiosity led me to pursue a Doctorate in Pharmacy, which I completed between my hometown Lebanon and the U.S., before beginning my career as a retail pharmacist.
You may be wondering, How did a pharmacist shift from this profession to becoming a neuroplastic pain coach?
My personal connection to chronic pain
During my final years of pharmacy school, I developed a condition later diagnosed as myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). It started as ear pain, which was related to muscle tension in my jaw, face, and neck. This pain radiated to my gums, teeth, head, and ears. Some days it was dull, other days throbbing, and on the worst days, my jaw completely locked. Over time, it became chronic, intense, and deeply debilitating.
Alongside MPS, I also struggled at different points with other troubling persistent symptoms such as acid reflux, tension headaches, dizziness and fainting, blurred vision, PTSD, OCD, anxiety, interstitial cystitis, and chronic fatigue.
My experiences as a pharmacist
At the same time, I was working in retail pharmacy. Day after day, I saw patients whose symptoms persisted despite taking multiple medications.
One patient stood out to me. She was taking four different prescriptions for migraines, yet her pain was still so severe she could rarely make it to work. I felt her frustration and hopelessness every time I handed her those pills — because I did not feel like this approach was beneficial. That’s when I knew there had to be another way.
How I responded to my symptoms
As a pharmacist trained in science, I first turned to conventional treatments. I tried all kinds of medications, supplements, injections, dental work — you name it. Thankfully, my MRI appeared normal so surgery wasn’t suggested.
When nothing worked, I explored non-invasive and alternative approaches: acupuncture, psychotherapy, energy work, osteopathy, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, special diets, magnetic therapy, infrared therapy. Still, the pain never truly stopped.
Finally, a diagnosis
After four years of constant pain, I finally received what felt like a ‘correct’ diagnosis: myofascial pain syndrome. A neurologist explained that the root cause was stress, and that medications would not help. Like many other conditions I had seen during my studies in pharmacy school, myofascial pain syndrome is described to have an idiopathic cause – meaning the root cause remains unknown and not fully understood - stress being a risk factor, and treatments aiming to manage symptoms and not cure them.
I told the neurologist I had already been in therapy for years, yet the pain was still intense. His honesty was refreshing, but also discouraging — because once again, no real solution was offered.
I often felt misunderstood and sensed something vital was missing in the way mainstream medicine addressed stress-related conditions. The gap was clear.
By then, pain had taken over my life, which was already difficult in many aspects. I couldn’t work, did less of what I needed or wanted to do, and felt hopeless, broken and stuck.
A new approach
One night, in yet another desperate online search, I stumbled across a forum thread on MPS – yes, possibly the least credible source of medical information! Most posts on the forum were full of despair, which only fueled my own hopelessness. But one comment stood out: “I found the cure. Google Dr. John Sarno.” That stranger changed my life.
Dr Sarno’s explanation of chronic pain
As a professor at the New York University Physical Rehabilitation Center, Dr. John Sarno discovered that repressed emotions can be the root cause of chronic back pain and other stress-related conditions. He observed that when emotional pain is avoided, the subconscious may interpret it as a threat and generate real physical symptoms as a distraction. Contributing factors include past trauma, major life events, ongoing stressors, personality traits, learned conditioning, and how we respond to pain itself.
Dr. Sarno coined the term Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS) to describe these conditions, which are driven by learned neural pathways in the brain rather than structural damage. Today, terms like neuroplastic pain or mind-body symptoms are more commonly used, emphasising the brain’s ability to unlearn these patterns and break the pain cycle for good.
After learning about Dr Sarno’s approach, I understood what was happening but had no idea how to apply the approach to myself. Years later, I came across training for practitioners in the mind-body approach, which allowed me to implement the concepts within my daily life and recover from my symptoms, while also preparing me to guide others.
Implementing the neuroplastic approach
In implementing the neuroplastic approach, certain mindset and behavioral shifts have supported my healing journey. Understanding and believing in the science of neuroplasticity was the main first step, which was easy for me since it made so much sense – both logically and scientifically.
a) Getting in touch with my emotions
One of the most important shifts for me was learning to be more honest and open about my emotions after repressing them for so many years. Through practices such as journaling and somatic tracking meditations, I began allowing myself to get to know my emotions, feel them and approach them with compassion rather than judgment.
b) Facing my fears
To move out of the frozen and fearful state I was in, I started gaining clarity about my own needs and desires, and took very small steps towards them (e.g., building a purposeful career, nurturing supportive relationships and environments, trusting and challenging my body to discover new potential, exploring new activities…) — no matter how slow the pace. Over time, those small steps built momentum, and I found myself moving towards my goals in a way that felt natural and safe. A big lesson was believing in myself, notably my ability to change and handle anything that comes my way, today and in the future.
c) Honoring my own pace
I learned to respect my unique rhythm and energy each day. One anonymous quote that beautifully sums this up is: “Your best is what you can do without harming your mental and physical health, not what you can accomplish by disregarding them.”
d) Embracing my sensitivity and finding balance
Another big shift was learning to understand, accept and value my sensitivity, while also finding a healthier balance with patterns that created inner pressure — like perfectionism, people-pleasing and worst-case scenario thinking.
e) Nurturing the relationship I have with myself
When I realized how much my harsh inner critic was costing me — the tension and suffering it created — I started changing the way I spoke to myself. I practiced being kinder, more understanding, supportive, encouraging, and forgiving toward myself. Over time, I came to see that I’m the only one who truly knows what I’m going through and what my intentions are, which helped me lean more on internal validation than external approval. A big part of healing comes from accepting where we — and our symptoms — are today. Recovery is rarely linear, but that doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening.
f) Not letting pain dictate my life
I stopped allowing pain to make my decisions for me — to be the reason I did or didn’t do things.
g) Focusing on feeling safe, good, and aligned
More and more, I orient my thinking and choices around what feels safe, nourishing, and aligned with my values and needs - in every area of my life, which includes believing in better outcomes.
What healing has looked like for me
Learning about the neuroplastic approach changed my life. I came to understand how to take care of myself genuinely and authentically, and the importance of doing so. I discovered tools that helped me build a life that feels safe and fulfilling – not only to ease my physical pain but for my own well-being. I also learned that no matter how difficult life can be, you don’t need to suffer from chronic pain. I am constantly growing and my journey has been challenging — but I’m deeply grateful to have found this path, for the support of my family, loved ones and colleagues, and I’m very proud of how far I’ve come.
My mission
Given how crucial all the above learning was to me on my healing journey, I became determined to help others break their own pain cycles. I made it my mission to spread awareness of this life-changing approach —especially in parts of the world where resources are limited, like Lebanon — and to collaborate with others around the world who share the same vision. For more content related to neuroplasticity, or if you feel like reaching out, you can find me at @mindoverpains on Instagram or visit my website.
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