Thank you so much for being here! I know there’s a lot of heaviness in the world right now, and it’s an honor that you’ve chosen to spend some of your time and energy with me.

Content Warnings: suicidal ideation, eating disorders, exercise addiction, chronic pain

Career Crises & Chronic Pain

“There are few more excruciating experiences than when something that has become a part of who we are changes… When things we’ve come to accept as a part of our identity and worth change, it can feel like we are being stripped of who we are.”

— Amber Lyon, You Are A Magnet, 115

Last week, I was supposed to begin a new semester of my doctoral program. Instead, I submitted the necessary forms to take another medical leave of absence. Until now, I’ve avoided writing about the ways in which my chronic pain has impacted me professionally. I think this is partly due to the fact that I’ve grown weary of attempting to justify how debilitating the pain is; I’m quietly convinced that no one really believes me …