The grief surrounding life before chronic illness, and the freeze and shame cycles that come with it are painfully relatable. I appreciate these topics being discussed and honored in this conversation.
Thank you, Sarah. I didn't know about it until recently too. I'm so happy to share and shed some light on this. It's such a common experience, and I wish more able-bodied folks understood it!
It’s so interesting how some of us have taught ourselves to look well and perform wellness, often out of sheer survival. Letting go of that is incredibly difficult. I wrote something about this recently too. Thank you so much much for these deeply profound and vulnerable conversations. They are so needed for emotional healing.
vōx, this conversation just rewrote something fundamental in my understanding of my own journey. Reading about your body dissociation and Dr. Talia’s experience of learning not to listen to physical cues hit me like lightning. I never connected my chronic illness to my childhood trauma responses, but they’re completely intertwined.
What strikes me most is how both of you describe that ‘preciousness to creation in the face of illness.’ As someone with autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia) who also learned hyper-vigilance as a survival skill, I’m realizing we develop this incredible ability to sense what truly matters. When your energy is finite, every creative choice becomes sacred. When your nervous system is already overloaded, you become exquisitely attuned to what deserves your precious resources. The parallel between trauma survivors and chronic illness warriors is staggering. We both learn to read our bodies like weather systems, to advocate fiercely for our needs, to find profound meaning in small victories. Your journey from resenting your body to finding love and presence within it? That’s the same path from seeing sensitivity as a flaw to recognizing it as a superpower.
This kind of raw, nuanced storytelling about disability is exactly why this platform feels so revolutionary. A writer in my circle recommended your work, and now I understand why. You’re not just sharing your story, you’re creating sanctuary for others to recognize their own resilience. I’ll subscribe to support your journey and beautiful storytelling. 💛
The grief surrounding life before chronic illness, and the freeze and shame cycles that come with it are painfully relatable. I appreciate these topics being discussed and honored in this conversation.
Thank you so much for reading. Appreciate you!
"Dynamic disability" is something I've lived with for decades but didn't have a name for, until now. Thank you both!
Thank you, Sarah. I didn't know about it until recently too. I'm so happy to share and shed some light on this. It's such a common experience, and I wish more able-bodied folks understood it!
Thank you both so much for conversation! 🤓🙌💖
Thank you for reading Catherine!
Great read, really relate 💖
Thank you so much!
It’s so interesting how some of us have taught ourselves to look well and perform wellness, often out of sheer survival. Letting go of that is incredibly difficult. I wrote something about this recently too. Thank you so much much for these deeply profound and vulnerable conversations. They are so needed for emotional healing.
Thank you so much Greta ❤️🩹
vōx, this conversation just rewrote something fundamental in my understanding of my own journey. Reading about your body dissociation and Dr. Talia’s experience of learning not to listen to physical cues hit me like lightning. I never connected my chronic illness to my childhood trauma responses, but they’re completely intertwined.
What strikes me most is how both of you describe that ‘preciousness to creation in the face of illness.’ As someone with autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia) who also learned hyper-vigilance as a survival skill, I’m realizing we develop this incredible ability to sense what truly matters. When your energy is finite, every creative choice becomes sacred. When your nervous system is already overloaded, you become exquisitely attuned to what deserves your precious resources. The parallel between trauma survivors and chronic illness warriors is staggering. We both learn to read our bodies like weather systems, to advocate fiercely for our needs, to find profound meaning in small victories. Your journey from resenting your body to finding love and presence within it? That’s the same path from seeing sensitivity as a flaw to recognizing it as a superpower.
This kind of raw, nuanced storytelling about disability is exactly why this platform feels so revolutionary. A writer in my circle recommended your work, and now I understand why. You’re not just sharing your story, you’re creating sanctuary for others to recognize their own resilience. I’ll subscribe to support your journey and beautiful storytelling. 💛