Blog
Writing about life with chronic illness, pain, and trauma
Articles for people navigating long-term health conditions, persistent pain, medical trauma, and health anxiety. Written from clinical practice and the research that informs it.
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The Globus Sensation: Why Your Throat Feels Stuck
Feel a persistent lump in your throat with nothing there? Learn what globus sensation is, why anxiety makes it worse, and an approach to living well with it.
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Can Anxiety Cause PVCs? Breaking the Palpitation–Panic Cycle
Yes — anxiety can trigger PVCs, and PVCs trigger more anxiety. A UK therapist explains why benign palpitations feel so frightening and how to break the loop.
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Dismissed by Your GP? How to Get Your Symptoms Taken Seriously
GP said it’s “just anxiety” and you left feeling unheard? Practical steps to prepare, be specific and get your symptoms taken seriously — from a UK therapist.
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When Scans Are Clear But The Pain Is Real: Next Steps
You have sat in that waiting room, again. You have described the pain, again. And the results have come back clear, again. “When scans are clear but pain is real”…
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When Your Doctor Says ‘It’s Just Anxiety’ (But You Know It’s Not)
You’re sitting in the GP surgery. Your heart is pounding. You’ve just explained your symptoms: the exhaustion, the pain, the way your body doesn’t feel like it belongs to you…
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When Physical Symptoms Leave You Wondering What’s Really Going On
You wake up with chest tightness. Again. Your first thought races to your heart, but then you remember your doctor said it was anxiety. So you try to breathe through…
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What to Do While Waiting for Test Results: A Guide
Your GP says the words “urgent referral” or “two-week pathway”, and suddenly your chest tightens. Your hands go cold. The rest of the appointment becomes a blur. You walk out…
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Grieving the Person You Were Before Chronic Illness
Your thumb pauses mid-scroll. There’s a photo from two years ago: you at a friend’s wedding, dancing without a second thought. Or that weekend hike where you packed nothing but…
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Understanding Isolation in Chronic Illness
You’re sitting with friends, but you feel utterly alone. They’re laughing about weekend plans while you’re calculating whether you’ll have the energy to make it through lunch. Someone complains about…
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Gut-Brain Connection: Managing IBS Anxiety Effectively
You’re queuing at the supermarket when you feel it – that familiar cramping in your abdomen. Your chest tightens. Within seconds, you’re scanning for the toilet, heart pounding, mind racing…
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