I thought that this opinion piece/letters in the Guardian today would make interesting, although not exactly comforting reading for all of us who have encountered false labelling, particularly in terms of being given a mental health/stress diagnosis by doctors too lazy or incapable to listen properly and join up the dots.
theguardian.com/society/202...
I hope the link works.🤞 Wishing you all the best health and the best doctors possible 🍀
theguardian.com/society/202... sure previous link copied properly
You can tell if the link will work by its colour - it should turn blue!
Did you C&P from one of the other posts? Has to be from the original before posting it or the link doesn't copy.
Yes I did - thanks for the tip 👍
I ha this happen just few months ago by my pain management guy. I was obviously pretty distraught over everything the pain caused..not working anymore (so our finances getting bad), SPENDING many thousands over a year trying to find out what what wrong with my muscles..hell yeah I was a bit upset and not my usual happy self..really ticked me off. I'd like to see him go a year without a paycheck, and massive pain to boot and life reduced to sitting in is recliner at age 54 with NO relief no matter what you tried..add in most people thinking you are exaggerating mere tiny "aches and pains" of older age. Maddening!
Yes maddening and appalling medical practice. Lost count of the number of pain clinics that I've been to that overplay the stress aspect and try to tell you to worry less in the face of ever dwindling finances and ever increasing unexplained disability.One CBT guy trying to get us to reframe our physical limitations by presenting them as a choice - i.e. to say to ourselves ' I could choose to do the washing up, or I may choose not to do it ' as opposed to telling ourselves we can't do it- even though I plainly couldn't!! Tried to tell him that just doesn't work when it comes to paying essential bills!
I sometimes think these people are mad!
That was my reservation about the pain clinic - but I have to say, here they are firmly orientated on dealing with why something hurts. I still wonder how BBT can deal with constant pain when you move so it even hurts to make it to the loo!
It sounds like you have fit-for-purpose pain clinics where you live. I wanted one that would offer the types of therapy I was once given at Bart's but can no longer afford - such as acupuncture or massage. I know these therapies help me.
I had a lovely older and experienced nurse who had studied a form of needling which, while painful to have at the time into the worst affected muscles, actually gave me relief and improved function.
I could not get my chin to my chest when I started, but the acupuncture helped free up my neck. No idea how, but it worked and that's all that matters. No side effects either other than the occasional bit of minor bruising and sometimes a bit of dizziness (which I was getting anyway and which passed).
I think properly run, well-informed pain clinics that aren't ideologically biased towards the psychological model of pain could form really supportive and pivotal hubs for chronic pain sufferers, but those I've attended in the UK (and that's at least 3 now at different major teaching hospitals) leave a lot to be desired.
The last one had most of the attendees in tears at some point or another because those leading it (2 psychologists, 1 nurse and 1 physiotherapist) caused them to feel misunderstood, treated as wimps psychologically lacking in the right attitude and were being encouraged to come off of pain meds that they clearly absolutely needed.
Appalling. The Pain Lady (an anaesthetist who otherwise works on ICU) told me they DO sometimes use psychological approaches but they start with identfying the physical problem if there is one. I would have so much to lose if I returned to the UK - I'm a bit limited in what I can do here, in the UK I doubt I would get out the door anywhere!
a disease or an illness?
Waiting for a diagnosis 
Waiting for diagnosis
Diagnosis
