Why is Appearance so Important to People?

Since I don't go out much, I tend to sit in the house wearing comfortable clothes like leggings, tee shirts and hoodies. I don't give the mirror a second glance. I don't wear make up and my hair is probably all over the place. Nobody, apart from my husband, is going to see me, so …

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How To Cope When You Are Feeling Judged

People who live with chronic pain or a chronic illness are often put under scrutiny. Most have felt judged at some time in their lives. Being Judged is Demoralising Friends, families, colleagues, doctors, social security and even strangers can all be guilty of judging people who live with chronic pain or illness. It's not helpful …

There is More to Chronic Pain Than Just Pain

Most people understand pain. Whether it's from an occasional headache, a broken leg or a stubbed toe, most people understand what pain feels like. But chronic pain? Not everyone will understand what that is like. When does pain become chronic? Chronic pain is defined by NHS Inform as pain that carries on for longer than …

What is Life Like with Chronic Pain?

If you read my distractions post, you'll know I'm keen on A - Zs, so I decided to make an A - Z to describe life with chronic pain. Counteracting Negatives with Positives Part way through, I realised that the A - Z was quite negative, and since I prefer a positive outlook I tried …

Ill Health Retirement After Years of Struggling to Work

Very often, people with ill health or disability struggle to work and have to face early retirement. It’s not a decision that anyone takes lightly. My Own Struggle I had to take early retirement through ill health 25 years ago, in 1994.I didn't want to take sick leave due to my pain, but at the …

How to support someone who has an invisible illness

Some illnesses are obvious to the naked eye. If someone is hobbling around with a plaster cast on their leg, we can tell they have a broken leg. If they have misshapen fingers, we can normally presume that they have painful arthritis.But so many people have health conditions which can’t be seen. Those conditions are …

Chronic Pain – How Can We Overcome the Burden of Guilt?

We struggle with pain. We struggle with the stress of living with pain. And sometimes, we struggle with all-consuming guilt, which can ultimately affect both our mental and physical health. Sometimes our guilt makes us believe we are a burden to our families. And very often there is only one person who is pointing the finger and making us feel guilty - ourselves.