Hello, I have had chronic pain for a decade. At 28, my life was plunged into darkness and hell. I was told repeatedly by the medical profession that this was it, deal with it, and shamed when I didn't want to live in constant pain.

I lost my career, independence, and all quality of life.

I now know that the pain was caused by my brain as a result of stress and repressed emotions. I was falling behind my peers and desperate to achieve the life I wanted; my own place, husband and kids, and career. I'm getting better, but what originally caused my pain is now 1000% worse due to being out of life for a decade - the combined pressure to now get a life I want and the grief that I can't now have some of those things, like children, is overwhelming. My body is different, I've aged ten years without living it. How can I come to terms with so much loss and loss of opportunities? I feel like I am grieving for my life and the life I wanted. When I try to get on and make things better, the pain returns.