About Me
Welcome to my website. This is a place to find practical, personal guidance for searching the Internet, finding authoritative information, and understanding important topics such as chronic pain, pain management, and addiction.
I am Richard A. Lawhern, known as “Red” to my friends, although my hair isn’t anymore. Over the years, I have spent considerable time researching, writing, and sharing information on chronic pain, patient advocacy, Internet research, and other subjects that can help people make better-informed decisions.
Whether you are looking for reliable information about chronic pain or Trigeminal Neuralgia, learning how to search the Internet more effectively, exploring personal finance and relationships, reading powerful memoirs, or enjoying photography and photographic art, I hope you will find something useful here.
Empowering Patients with Evidence, Experience, and Action.
I retired as a systems engineer and operations research analyst, with 42 years of experience in acquisition management and systems engineering for military systems.
Alongside my career, I have spent more than three decades researching chronic pain, pain treatment, addiction, and patient advocacy, with a focus on public policy. Now in my 80s and still active, I continue to research and share information to help people better understand pain management, addiction, and the challenges faced by patients.
I am co-founder of the National Campaign to Protect People in Pain (https://ncp3.org).
I’ve authored several cyberspace training courses and videos and have helped employers train their staff in using the tools, resources, and information available on the Internet. I continue to share what I’ve learned about Internet research and finding reliable information online.
In my so-called spare time, I am also very active in providing social media support to patients living with chronic facial pain, including those affected by Trigeminal Neuralgia. I share information, resources, and personal insights to help patients better navigate the challenges of living with chronic pain.
Work Experience
I have worked on the Internet for over 38 years, with an adult career spanning six decades across engineering, military intelligence, public health policy, and literature.
Defense & Systems Engineering
21 years of uniformed service concluded as Lt Colonel, USAF (Colonel Select). Last military position was Director of Integration for the B-52 Bomber Modernization Program.
Patient Advocacy
Over 30 years serving chronic face pain communities, co-founding NCP3, analyzing medical literature, and authoring over 300 publications on public policy and pain management.
Literary Work
Author of Journeys of a Commoner (2026) and a series of adult fiction novels published on Amazon.
About This Page
This site is an effort to give something back to the community of the Internet, a place where I’ve worked and taught for 30 years. Many people have helped me to learn and grow. I hope to pass on that courtesy.
Resources
As part of giving something back to a community I care about, I offer a few Internet resources and practical tips for searching the Web and finding reliable information online. Many websites provide enormous lists of links and resources so I won’t burden you with another endless collection. Instead, I’ll point you toward a few useful starting places that I’ve found valuable over the years. I’ve had plenty of practice searching the Internet for information, and I hope you can benefit from what I’ve learned along the way. If you’re already an experienced Internet user, I’d be equally happy to learn from you. After all, that’s ultimately what conversation is about. Feel free to offer suggestions [by email.](mailto:webmaster@lawhern.org)
An Invitation
After you’ve browsed this website, feel free to send me an email if there is something I might do to assist you. I intend this invitation to be quite open-ended. I have many personal interests and hobbies, and I’ve met a lot of interesting people throughout more than 50 years of adult life. I’ve traveled through both geography and personal awareness, learning from different experiences, people, and perspectives along the way. I’m always willing to speak with strangers who may become friends on a shared life journey. Come talk to me. If it seems that you need to connect with others who can help you better than I can, I’ll be glad to suggest useful resources or point you toward a good place to start.
Searching the Internet
Part of my professional life has been spent learning how to search the Internet and find reliable information online. Everybody wants to find something these days, but not everyone has the time to learn effective Internet search techniques or understand how to research information efficiently. Several years ago, when one of my daughters was attending university, I wrote her an article about how to search the Internet quickly and find useful information on the Web. The course is available through Voice of the Shuttle, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Feel free to take a look and learn some practical Internet research and searching techniques that may help you find the information you’re looking for more quickly.
The Shuttle offers one of the largest and best organized collections in the world, for Internet resources relating to the liberal arts. The Shuttle’s search engine will help you find links you need. I have found two sub-pages at the Shuttle that are also very useful to people who have other information needs. These will give you overviews of the Net and its services, and a list of search engines and directory services.
Information About the Internet
Another resource has become a “classic” on the Internet, and should not be ignored when you want to browse a collection of high value links to learn your way around. There are hundreds of references here, so be prepared to spend time to learn your way about:
John December’s Computer Mediated Communication Information Sources
Finally, there is a massive and authoritative information resource where I frequently find answers to some of the most difficult research needs. I am pleased to be a supporter of Wikipedia.
Article
Medical Resources for Trigeminal Neuralgia
In one other area of volunteer service on the Internet, I have a significant personal investment. A member of my family is being treated for a relatively rare chronic nerve disorder called “Trigeminal Neuralgia.” This ailment can cause the most severe face pain known to medical practice. Even narcotic drugs are unsuccessful in relieving pain for many patients.lection on building a life of purpose and resilience.
Featured Book
What makes an ordinary life truly extraordinary?
Eight decades of hard-won wisdom. A lifetime of lessons, loss, love, and triumph. In Journeys of a Commoner, Richard A. Lawhern, Ph.D., delivers an intimate, deeply moving reflection on building a life of purpose and resilience.
This isn’t just a memoir; it’s a roadmap for finding meaning through life’s unpredictable turns.
My Personal Interest Areas -- Assistance Offered
If you’ve found your way to my page and bothered to read this far, then you’ve hopefully concluded that I am basically a “people” person. I believe in reaching out to others whenever I can, as humanely and thoughtfully as I can. I believe in helping, contributing, and “giving something back.” My time and knowledge are far from limitless, but I try to do the best I can with what I’ve got.
I’ve had opportunities in a varied career to turn my hand to a lot of different subjects, and to dabble at hobbies, interests, and small businesses. Because this web page is about giving back, I invite inquiries on any of the following subjects. I’ll do my best to find you good information or to share my own experiences regarding any of the following.
- Assistance in Profession
- On-Line resources for job searchers
- Career preparation and resume writing (send me yours!).
- Technical and liberal arts education
- Graduate schools
- Why American Education is “Failing”.
- Why very few people “need” a Ph.D. — in ANYTHING!
- US military service (Lt. Col., USAF, retired)
- Learning from Life Experiences
- Finding a compatible mate
- Psychotherapy or counseling — how to pick a therapist
- Gestalt therapy and related techniques (former client)
- Searching for a religious experience that makes sense
- A Way Less Traveled – Alternatives to Traditional Religion [HTML Version] [MS-Word Version]
- Journeys of a Commoner – The autobiography of the author of this website
- Investment Advice for Fun and Profit — Theirs, Not Yours!
- Life skills
- Living with an alcoholic child — and learning to let go
- Divorce and emotional survival
- Sexual harassment and personal development issues for women
- Running a small business
- Building sun decks and retaining walls
- Hobbies, Sports and Interests
- Diamonds, gemstones and jewelry design (I have been a gem broker). Here is an example of my design work.
- Sailing (my wife and I cruised weekends for seven years on our Bristol 34 sloop, and another six on a smaller S-2 Model 8.0B)
- Photographic Art – Images in Light. Several galleries of my work are featured here on “Giving Something Back”
- Also featured as photography is a short book, titled “An American Journey”. This work describes my impressions from a 6500 mile, five-week coast to coast trailer trip through America. There are over 100 scenic pictures from US National Parks and the American West
- Science fiction
- Macro-economics and public policy (a different form of science fiction)
- Psychic experiences, telepathy and clairvoyance (yes I am — and probably so are yo
Note to Readers: links in this section of lawhern.com will take you to my previous website at lawhern.org. That site has not been actively maintained in 15 years. Some material will naturally be dated. Other articles are still of current interest. Use your own judgement concerning what you act upon.
End note.
A Special Interest: Sailing
In the mid- to late-1990s, my wife and I sailed the Chesapeake for six seasons on an S-2 Model 8.0B (26-foot) pocket cruiser. She was a lovely little boat who taught us a lot of things and was very forgiving of our mistakes. But with less than five feet of headroom below deck, weekend cruising was a little like camping out, without the ants. In the winter of 1999, we stepped up to a much more comfortable 1973 Bristol 34.4 sloop. Rafiki (“friend” in Swahili, or “companion” in Arabic) taught us quite a number of other new things. In the seven seasons we sailed her, she impressed us with her handling in both light and heavy air. We took her through the trailing end of a tropical storm in May 2005, weathering 30 knot headwinds, 4-foot chop and heavy opposing tides, without complaint from the boat. Finding deck leaks can seem like purgatory — no doubt about it. However, the maintenance time on her deck teak was more than compensated for by her longer cruising range, sailing comfort, and stability in Chesapeake surface chop. She also scooted along at over seven knots on a close reach, when she hit that ‘sweet spot’ that sailors all look for.
In the Spring of 2006, Rafiki went on the hard at Annapolis Sail Yard and was sold. We’ve relocated about 30 minutes south of Charlotte NC. The picture below offers some idea of why we were so happy with our sailing friend. I would recommend Bristol boats without reservation, for just about any kind of sail cruising.
Stay In Touch
Feel free to write me, to share your journeys if you feel so inclined. Or write to pose a particular question. I’ll help if I can, or I’ll find somebody else to help.