RSD - Survival...

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. ~ Hellen Keller

Have that one person you can trust and go to whenever your haing a really bad day, find that one person who will listen to you when you feel as it there is nothing that will ever help
Don't let pain control your life
Don't let people push you beyond your limits.
Don't let uninformed people get you down. ~ Melis
Keep living your life no matter what happens. you can't let RSD get the best of you; you just have to keep fighting it and some day you'll overcome it! even if it's one tiny achievement at a time, they all add up, and before you know it, you'll be a new person: stronger, wiser, and a fighter! ~Kerri

Stay informed and inform others. People will never understand what we/you are ging through if we dont tell them. And, it really does feel better if more people have a faint understanding of how I feel every day ~Kasie

Find something to distract you. It helps if you do not think about the pain ~Carrie

For me, its my pets that are helping me survive RSD. I don't know what I would do without them. They are always here for me, they know when I'm having a bad day, and they know to stay away from certain parts of my body that hurt too much for them to touch me. Also I use heat packs on the areas that aren't too sensitive. It really helps the muscle spasms I get. And I tell myself everyday when I don't want to feel this anymore that one day this won't be as bad because there WILL BE some sort of treatment that will help me. ~Tabitha
Use a rice pillow! You put it in the microwave and then use it like a heating pad. They're easy to make, you just sew it up with a piece of fabric and put raw rice in it. It's nice for flare ups in your hands because then you can wrap it around them
Active rest is proving to be a key thing for me. My worst flare ups are in my foot and on bad days I walk with a cane instead of not walking. Also, for anyone who has RSD in one or both feet, make sure your shoes provide good support and are comfortable, otherwise it's just gonna make things worse. If you have flat feet make sure you are using inserts. you can get them at drugstores.
Make time to do stuff that's relaxing! On days when the pain in my hands aren't too bad I play my guitar. Also, journaling has proved to be a lifesaver for me.

Consider a short haircut if you have pain in your hands. I used to have hair that was several inches below my shoulders, but the pain levels in my hands would get so high that dealing with it was this huge chore. Now I try to keep my hair at about chin length. This means I get to hold the hairdryer for a shorter period of time, and washing and styling it is alot easier and alot less painful. ~ Kati