PAIN WORK IS ALWAYS SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK

WORK WITH GEORGE (Free 30-Min Consultation): https://www.paincoaching.co.uk/consultation

In this episode of The Conditions for Recovery Podcast, George chats with practitioner, author, and advocate Shabnam Rakhiba.

Shabnam discusses her long, arduous experience searching for diagnostic clarity and the lessons she has learned to live with less emotional and physical suffering.

Shabnam is a guest who I am incredibly grateful to for offering her time and perspective as we explored many vital topics which don’t get discussed enough.

In This Episode:

• The Conflict Narrative isn’t Helping: Why your body is not your enemy.
• The Power of Self Compassion: Freeing yourself from clinical dismissal and toxic self blame.
• Resilience vs. Reality: Why narratives about "mindset" are often code for privilege.
• The Overly Simplistic Paperwork System: How reducing complex suffering to rigid benefit forms and "narrow tick boxes" dehumanizes patients.
• The Rigged Game of Employment: Navigating the hostile reality of job hunting, vague job listings, and the post pandemic rollback on remote work.
• Navigating Healthcare as a Woman: The invisible burden of medical misogyny, systemic bias and the cultural pressure to "suffer in silence."
• Context Over Non-Compliance: How a person's environment and support network dictate their outcomes far more than we give credit for.

Shabnam’s story is a vital reminder that health is shaped by everything around us. This conversation offers a refreshing, critical and hopeful perspective on what it truly means to live well alongside persistent pain.

Whether you are living with a long term condition or you're a clinician looking for a deeper understanding of the patient experience, this conversation offers an authentic, necessary perspective on what it means to live well alongside chronic illness.

Connect with the Show:

• Full Episode Links: www.paincoaching.co.uk/links
• Follow on Instagram/TikTok: @SpecialistPainPhysio

Connect with Shabnam:

Book: Learning Through Pain: Transformational Strategies for Healing Chronic Pain 25% off 'Learning Through Pain' for listeners:

• Website: https://www.chronicwellnesslounge.com/product-details/product/learningthroughpain
• Coupon code is CONDITIONSFORRECOVERY

Initiatives: The Chronic Wellness Lounge & Unapologetic Women Collective

Shababm's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shabnam-rakhiba-coaching/