Most people assume that pain and illness are the straightforward result of injury and disease. However, one in six adults suffers from chronic pain or illness that is either “medically unexplained” or unresponsive to virtually any treatment. These patients often live with a psychophysiologic disorder (PPD), the increasingly common clinical term for very real stress-related and brain-generated medical conditions. Such chronic symptoms manifest themselves as everything from fibromyalgia to irritable bowel syndrome, and their incompatibility with conventional diagnosis leaves most PPD patients feeling neglected by the medical profession and hopeless about their future.Lisa is joined by Dr. David Clarke, the President of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending the chronic pain epidemic. Dr. Clarke graduated from Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and he holds an MD from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His organization’s mission is to advance the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of stress-related and brain-generated medical conditions. The PPDA supports an evidence-based, biopsychosocial approach that is safer, more affordable, and more effective than traditional treatments of chronic pain. With a focus on uncovering stress and identifying trauma, the PPDA encourages patients to take control of their symptoms without drugs, surgery, or expensive treatments. Dr. Clarke is the organization’s president, a renowned gastroenterologist, author of three books, producer of three films, and an international lecturer on psychophysiologic disorders. Learn more at EndChronicPain.org.The Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending the chronic pain epidemic by promoting awareness of PPD diagnosis and treatment. Educating medical professionals is the first step in creating a healthcare system that is more compassionate toward PPD and more capable of serving every patient. In 2021, opioids accounted for over 80,000 of the drug overdose deaths reported in the United States. The opioid crisis is a plague on modern health care, and much of its strength originates from those patients unable to find understanding and relief — like those suffering from brain-generated symptoms.“It’s all about awareness,” says Dr. David Clarke, renowned gastroenterologist and president of PPDA. “The more people — both medical professionals and more members of the public — who know about psychophysiologic disorders and what makes them tick, the more we will see diagnosis and effective treatment on the rise.”The Psychophysiologic Disorders Association supports an evidence-based, biopsychosocial approach that is safer, more affordable, and more effective than traditional methods in treating chronic pain. With a focus on uncovering stress, trauma, and unrecognized emotion, patients are able to take control of their symptoms without drugs, surgery, or expensive treatments. What’s more, the organization is a leader and chief facilitator within the industry, supporting some of the most robust resources available for PPD patients and professionals:This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5948889/advertisement