Chris Hutchins-Joss | Pain and Health Psychological Therapist

The voice that says 'everyone else is managing better' is lying. Everyone's journey with chronic conditions is different. Comparison steals the compassion you deserve.

#ChronicConditions

Gentle reminder: You're not broken. You're not a burden. You're a whole person navigating a health condition with courage, even when it doesn't feel that way.

#ChronicIllness

Your relationship with your body might be complicated right now. That's understandable. Healing that relationship takes time, patience, and often professional support.

#BodyImage #ChronicPain #TherapyHelps

You're allowed to grieve the person you were before. You're allowed to celebrate who you're becoming. Both can be true at the same time.

#ChronicIllness #Grief #Identity #MentalHealth

Some days, getting through is the achievement. Some days, resting IS the productive choice. Your body knows what it needs.

#ChronicConditions

That inner critic telling you you're 'not doing enough'? It doesn't understand chronic illness. You're navigating something complex every single day. That takes incredible strength.

#ChronicIllness

Reminder: You don't have to earn rest. You don't have to justify gentleness with yourself. Your worth isn't measured by your productivity.

#ChronicPain #Therapy #SelfCare

our body is doing its best with what it has today. That's enough. That's always been enough. 💙

#ChronicIllness #SelfCompassion #MentalHealth

New week, same gentle truth: Your relationship with your body is the longest relationship you'll ever have.

Might as well make it a kind one. What's one small way you could be more collaborative today? 💙

#MondayMotivation

Sunday evening reminder: Tomorrow doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours—whatever capacity you have, whatever your body offers.

That's enough. You're enough. 🌙

#SundayEvening #ChronicIllness

Your 'good days' and 'difficult days' are both valid. Your body isn't inconsistent—it's complex, responding to countless factors we can't always see.

Give yourself credit for showing up either way. 💙

#ChronicIllnessLife #SelfCompassion

Week ahead thought: What if we approached our symptoms with curiosity instead of criticism?

"What are you trying to tell me?" feels gentler than "Why are you doing this to me?"

Small shifts, big difference. ✨

#MindBodyConnection

Sunday reflection: Your body has carried you through every difficult moment so far. Even when it feels unreliable, it's still trying its best with the resources it has.

That's not weakness - that's remarkable resilience. 🌱

#ChronicIllness

Your body isn't broken - it's communicating.

Those symptoms? They're information, not failure. That fatigue? It's asking for rest, not judging your worth.

What if we listened instead of fought? 💙

#ChronicIllness

Medical appointments where you're reduced to symptoms and numbers. It's easy to lose sight of yourself as a whole person. You are not your diagnosis. You are not your limitations. You are not your changed appearance. You are still wonderfully, completely you.

Shifting from battle language ("fighting" illness) to partnership language ("working with" your body) takes time, but it helps. You and your body are on the same team.

But your body isn't your enemy - it's doing its best under difficult circumstances. Maybe it's fighting an autoimmune battle, or managing chronic pain, or adjusting to new limitations.

"I feel like my body betrayed me." This thought comes up so often in therapy sessions. When illness strikes, it can feel like your body turned against you without warning.

Clothes that no longer fit. Activities you can't do. The body you thought you knew. Physical changes from illness affect more than appearance - they challenge your entire sense of self. That's huge, and it's okay to struggle with it.

Identity crisis after health diagnosis is real. "Who am I if I'm not the energetic/strong/active person I was?" You're still you - just adapting to new circumstances. Growth includes grieving who you thought you'd be.

Function over form, always. Your body is doing its best under difficult circumstances. That's enough.

Body neutrality is gentler: your body doesn't have to be beautiful to be worthy of care and respect. It doesn't have to perform perfectly to deserve kindness.

Body positivity asks you to love your body. That can feel impossible when your body feels like it's working against you, when medications change how you look, when pain is constant.

Your relationship with your body after illness isn't about "body positivity" - it's about body neutrality.

Chronic illness often comes with visible changes - weight gain from meds, skin changes, mobility aids. The stares and comments from others can feel overwhelming. Remember: their discomfort says nothing about your worth.

Healing isn't about acceptance overnight, but about being gentle with yourself through this adjustment. Small acts of self-compassion matter more than forced positivity.

This isn't about vanity or being "shallow." When illness changes your appearance, it can feel like losing a fundamental part of your identity. The person staring back feels like a stranger.

"I don't recognise myself anymore" - heard this from so many clients after health changes. The mirror becomes a daily reminder of what's different.

When your body changes due to illness, it's normal to grieve the person you used to be. That grief isn't vanity - it's a valid response to loss. Your worth isn't tied to how your body looks or functions. 💙

It's also helpful to have a mix of social and solitary enjoyable activities ready for you. 🧐👋🏼😌

We can't control what other people do, and sometimes people cancel -- so it's good to have enjoyable activities that you can do on your own.