Recent content by Kat

Thank you Carol and MWsunin12 for the encouragement! I have trouble in that my pain doesn't directly relate to situations I'm in or emotions I'm having - it is constant pain and made much worse by sitting, standing and walking - and never better when doing something I like or worse when have...

Hi Hambone/Alan, I'm wondering also if the 'freeze' response could account for why something would occur (ie TMS) that would prevent you from running? Many animals play dead when they can't escape a predator, so this could be the missing link as to why something would occur to make us 'freeze'...

This is a really great film - a friend of mine helped to make it. It's very informative and interesting. Hopefully many people will get to see it.

Thanks Honey Badger, that's really helpful! Good idea, to check in with myself, and make the response less important - as I always think I need to come up with the best retort to wittily put that person in their place, or somehow defend myself against their criticism, but yes, probably better...

This is such an interesting post – as I had never understood that I was a people pleaser to avoid anxiety! But now that I think about it, it makes so much sense. As someone had commented, I think that some of us - and definitely me - do this to avoid abandonment, as I fear that if I don't do...

I used to ride a motorcyle too! Even though I can't walk now, I've found that I can ride a bike (if the seat's quite low, so leaning forward, arms taking the weight of my back) which is amazing, and doesn't aggravate my pain. Interesting that menopause can play a part in this. I'm heading...

Oh God, this sounds like me as well. So so worried about the future, as if it's this bad now, how will it be in 10 or 20 years?! I was absolutely fine, doing everything and never had back pain until 9 years ago, when it started. Then a bad back operation left me incapacitated (so I think I have...

Thanks so much Alan, and Forest, Christie (and Paul for his drawings) for this amazing programme! It's really kind of you all to give your time to help all of us who are suffering. I thought it was all really clearly laid out and informative. I think the only one I didn't quite understand was...

Alan, thanks for this. I know that I have a lot of rage from my childhood, and even though I am aware of it, I find it hard to express it - I've always been afraid to express anger, because I fear abandonment, and so have always been a 'people pleaser'. Do you think it's important to journal...

Me too!

Yes you're right. Only someone who has experienced something like this can really understand. It's so difficult having an invisible pain, as others can't see it, and many less sensitive types don't believe it's that bad if you look ok. I keep getting people saying to me, 'but you look so well!'...

I wish someone had told me that if you suffer from anxiety pre-surgery that the odds of failure are greater! 3 operations later..... I also hadn't known before my first operation that back surgery has a poor success rate. I think it's criminal that patients aren't told these odds BEFORE going...

I also feel very similarly. I've lost 9 years of my life to incapacitating back pain, and it's often a struggle to get through the day without crying. There is so much rage at being in this situation, but also, being a negative thinker too, I worry, scratch that, am TERRIFIED of the future, as I...

Thanks Alan, this makes a lot of sense, but I'm having trouble believing that sitting, standing and walking don't in themselves cause pain, as I'm afraid I don't have any exceptions, as for me the amount of physical activity always correlates to my pain levels, and these are never worse when...

Yes, it's very easy (esp for us perfectionist types) to feel a failure for not being able to conquer the pain. And it's hard, in a family like mine, that always expected so much 'success' to understand why I can't just 'fix' this problem, as they no doubt would (or think they would). It's hard...