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.

"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.

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.

"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.

Working with chronic illness means witnessing incredible psychological resilience that goes completely unrecognised. The daily adaptations my clients make would floor healthy people. Yet they apologise for struggling. The strength-to-self-awareness ratio is heartbreaking.

Monday energy check: How are you negotiating with your body today? Remember - awareness isn't pessimism, it's data.

To everyone managing invisible chronic conditions: Your exhaustion from looking 'fine' is real. Your decision fatigue from constant symptom monitoring is valid. Your social energy running out faster is reasonable. You're doing more than people can see.

The mind-body connection isn't mystical - it's neurological. Chronic pain literally rewires your nervous system. Understanding this can help separate 'you' from your symptoms. You're not broken; you're responding normally to abnormal circumstances.

Chronic illness doesn't just change what you can do - it changes the entire internal dialogue. From 'What do I want to do?' to 'What can I manage today?' That shift deserves acknowledgment.

Your body changed the rules without asking permission, and now you're expected to just... adapt? The audacity of that expectation. Take your time. Grief has no deadline.

Chronic illness taught me about energy accounting - and it's nothing like what healthy people imagine. Thread 🧵

The 'good patient' myth is doing serious psychological damage. Thread 🧵

Spoon theory is useful, but here's an addition: sometimes spoons are different sizes.

Weekend observation: Chronic illness doesn't pause for social events. Your need to leave early, decline invitations, or modify plans isn't antisocial - it's self-aware.

Myth: If you're anxious about health symptoms, you're making them worse.

Reminder: You don't have to be grateful for your illness journey.

Thread on things I wish people knew about chronic fatigue 🧵

Living with chronic illness or pain changes everything. I help people navigate the psychological impact of health conditions through specialised online CBT & ACT therapy. You don't have to figure this out alone. Ready to reclaim your story? Link in bio ☝️

Hot take: Telling someone with chronic illness to 'stay positive' is about as helpful as telling someone with a broken leg to 'just walk it off.

What happens when "get well soon" isn't an option? When illness isn't a temporary detour but the road itself?

"Accepting your situation doesn't mean giving up hope. Rather, it means acknowledging reality as it is, not as you wish it to be." This principle is crucial when facing cancer. 🧵

How do you maintain your sense of self when chronic pain redefines the boundaries of your life? The question "Who am I now?" becomes frighteningly real when pain transforms daily existence.

Have you ever felt like chronic illness has stolen your sense of purpose? That feeling that everything meaningful seems suddenly out of reach? You're not alone - this is one of the most profound yet under-discussed impacts of long-term health conditions.

So I wrote this week about #chronicpain, and the constant invisible battles that can happen just beneath the surface. Take a look here: open.substack.com/pub/chrishut...

“Rather than defining yourself by what you can or cannot do, focus on #living according to your #CoreValues. If #connection matters to you, find ways to nurture #relationships that work within your current capabilities.”: buff.ly/0rTpQpk By @remotetherapy.space #ChronicIllness

If you’re interested in reading some of the stuff I’ve written about physical #health and #ACT, you can find my current and future posts here: open.substack.com/pub/chrishut... #ACTTherapists

🧠 New blog: "Trapped in Your Thoughts?" As a therapist specialising in chronic illness, I've seen how an overactive mind can make health challenges harder. Here's my guide to breaking free from mental overwhelm. Read more: chrishutchinsjoss.substack.com/p/trapped-in... #chronicillness #anxiety

If you struggle with chronic health and find your mind is always in the future or the past, and never in the heart and now then you might find this helpful: open.substack.com/pub/chrishut... #chronicillness #mindfulness

Living with chronic pain isn't just physical - it's dealing with constant self-doubt. "Is it really that bad?" Sound familiar? New blog on breaking free from pain self-gaslighting: remotetherapy.space/blog/when-chronic-pain-meets-self-doubt-learning-to-trust-your-own-experience

🌿 Did you know hormonal changes during perimenopause can amplify anxiety? Discover how CBT can help you stay resilient. Dive into the insights from Therapist Kerry Alleyne. 🌼 🔗 Full blog:

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward? The FREE Mental Flexibility Toolkit can help you break free from negative patterns and reconnect with what matters most. Ready to grow? Sign up now! 🌱 https://www.remotetherapy.space/mental-flexibility #MentalHealth #Growth