Hi @LadyCaroline
Welcome to the forum - it's really good to see you here - and the people here - well - we really care about each other
I appreciate your post - I cope pretty well really but the pain I have I didn't really write about - I do have anxiety and a tough back-story - but I have chronic spinal pain syndrome and I have been through an interesting part of my life recently
I was seeing a pain specialist in the public system - a really good one for over 20 years - alas - without warning I was seeing someone else and she has let me down badly and I have been going through the process of finding a new specialist in the private system and it ha been pretty stressful. I had a couple of bad days but although I don't have a coping box I do have my stuff - I play the piano and read a lot and I love movies. I like cooking too and I do have good ways of self-soothing, Through the years I have learned to manage really well.
So part of the process of seeing a different specialist meant seeing a psychologist - which happened last week - and she is in the private system too - it went really well - she told me I have a lot of insight and I am resilient - which I sort of knew but it was excellent to have someone actually tell me.
Thanks for posting - having someone offer their hand on bad days is pretty wonderful - I feel really warm inside thinking about it
Dec