My own story

I joined the Shrewsbury Pain Group several months ago after being referred though my social prescriber. I was in a bad place – I was still undergoing tests for my own chronic pain and had been discharged form the pain clinic as there was nothing else they could do. I was feeling pretty hopeless and couldn’t see a way forward. I felt like there was nothing left to try to improve my situation. Going to the pain group really improved things for me by giving me hope as well as practical things to improve my daily life.

• Physically attending a timetabled meeting was good for me as it pushed me to make an effort and get out of the house. This had a big effect on my overall outlook.
• Spending time with people who could relate to my own situation was so much easier than meeting up with friends. There was no need to put on a brave face or feel like I had to explain myself or my pain. I thought it would just be a lot of moaning, but it turned out that as everyone had their own problems, we were all on the same page and could have positive conversations.
• I was able to learn about a whole bunch of stuff that I never would have been aware of if I hadn’t gone to the pain group meetings. The pilates session was an insight, and following the visit from Shrewsbury Town Foundation, I signed up for exercise on referral. This has made a big difference to my mobility and my attitude towards physical activity with chronic pain.
• Having a structured, fortnightly meeting meant I was moaning to my family a lot less and they saw an improvement in my outlook and mood.

The group has currently run out of funding, so although our structured meetings with the awesome Natalie and Wendy have come to an end for now, we have decided to meet up at the café at the Sports Village at the same time every fortnight. I felt that I could create this website and forum to hopefully get everybody involved, whether or not they are physically able to attend.

It is my sincere hope that the group gets funding in the future, as there is a clear need for it. If you know of any way to help with funding, please get in touch.