Living With Invisible Illness, Chronic Pain & Redefining Identity

About this episode

Michele Roys shares her experiences with invisible illnesses and the impact on identity and daily life.

In this deeply honest and powerful episode of the Irish Occupational Therapy Podcast, we are joined by Michele Roys, author, podcast host, and advocate, to discuss her experience of living with trigeminal neuralgia, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and chronic pain. Michele shares the profound impact that invisible illnesscan have on identity, daily life, relationships, work, and emotional well-being. From being a highly driven, ambitious, and independent person to navigating severe chronic pain, fatigue, grief, and uncertainty, Michele speaks openly about the psychological and practical realities of rebuilding life afterillness. Together, we explore: · Living with invisible illness and chronic pain · Trigeminal neuralgia and fibromyalgia · The emotional impact of life-changing diagnoses · Occupational loss, identity, and redefiningpurpose · Pacing, fatigue management, and “spoon theory” · Self-compassion, boundaries, and adaptingexpectations · Navigating healthcare systems and advocating foryourself · The importance of validation and being believed · Holistic approaches to wellbeing and healing The role of Occupational Therapy in supporting everydayparticipation and adjustment…

People in this episode

Host: The Irish Occupational Therapy Podcast

Guest: Michele Roys

Topics covered

• invisible illness
• chronic pain
• identity
• emotional impact
• occupational loss
• self-compassion
• healthcare advocacy

Keywords

• trigeminal neuralgia
• fibromyalgia
• chronic pain
• fatigue management
• spoon theory
• self-advocacy
• holistic healing

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: But You Look Fine

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