Calling In Sick

Just Media
  • 4.9 (44)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Calling in Sick, hosted by Alex Wildeson and produced by Just Media. On this podcast, Alex shares her unfiltered personal journey battling several autoimmune and chronic conditions including Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Vasculitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) / Lupus, Endometriosis, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She also provides practical “how-to” guides, explores hot topics, and welcomes other warriors, medical professionals, advocates and creators on the show to shed light on the latest healing modalities, promising treatments, and myth bust popular misconceptions and trendy health hacks. Tune in for some laughs, tears, and growth… but stay for the camaraderie and community. You can engage with Alex and the community through social media @callinginsickpod. We promise, you don’t need a doctor’s note for this one!

  1. 21h ago

    How to Support Your Nervous System for Chronically Illness (ft. Nitika Chopra)

    This week on Calling in Sick, Nitika Chopra is back to discuss the ONE thing that a lot of people in the chronic illness community have been quietly waiting for someone to say out loud. We're getting into the tools and identity shifts that don't always get talked about in this space, the ones that feel a little vulnerable to share, and the ones that have actually moved the needle. Tune in to hear more about: 🔮 The Vedic astrologer who told Nitika her illness wasn't about illness at all (?!?!) 🧠 The nervous system coach who helped her body remember what a parasympathetic state felt like + the dramatic impact it had on her symptoms 💊 What Nitika's chronic illness actually looks like now that she’s combined body + mind healing modalities ⚡ Viewing chronic illness as intelligent adaptation (you don’t want to miss this part!!!) 🌀 The fight-or-flight piece and why being stuck in survival mode can change your behavior in ways that are easy to misread 🔥 Chronic illness hot takes: Nitika and I get honest about things like positive thinking, wellness brands, alternative medicine, and whether you actually have to be grateful for what your illness has taught you xx,  Alex 💬 Comment: Have you ever explored energy healing or nervous system work… and did it help? Share your approach!!!! TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:06 Intro to Nitkia Chopra The Astrologer and the Nervous System Coach: 00:00:24 Nitika’s diagnosis and the decision to seek an alternative approach 00:03:50 The confrontational astrologer session and "ego death" 00:04:15 Chart readings and unpacking survival mechanisms and pathologies 00:07:06 Transitioning from fight-or-flight through nervous system work 00:10:18 Discussing the MANY routes you can take to support your nervous system Perspectives on Fight-or-Flight and Victimhood: 00:11:42 Addressing undercurrents of victimhood and trauma states 00:13:56 Understanding chronic illness as an intelligent adaptation by the nervous system 00:16:01 Understanding how others can interpret our seasons of deep fight-or-flight 00:17:34 Nitika’s current state of illness and managing active symptoms 00:19:13 Analyzing chronic illness as a blended space of biology and emotion Chronic Illness Hot Takes: 00:27:14 Can positive thinking heal chronic illness? 00:29:55 Should you 100% leave western medicine behind for alternative medicine? 00:32:24 Should you be grateful for what your illness has taught you? 00:34:51 Do wellness brands actually care about chronically ill people? Conclusion: 00:37:03 One Brain Cell picks of the week (Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, Famesick by Lena Dunham) 00:39:00 Where to find Nitica Chopra (@niticachopra) 00:40:36 Thank you for listening (Like, Follow, and Subscribe!) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest: Nitika Chopra! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nitikachopra/?hl=en • Website - https://nitikachopra.com/ • Join ChroniCon - https://chronicon.co/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #Prednisone #SteroidSideEffects #PrednisoneWeightGain #SteroidRage #PrednisoneSurvivalGuide #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #MedicalGaslighting #ChronicPain #HealthJourney #Inflammation #SteroidWithdrawal #PrednisoneTaper #MentalHealth #SteroidAnxiety #SpoonieSupport #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How to Support Your Nervous System for Chronically Illness (ft. Nitika Chopra)

  2. 2d ago

    The Chronic Illness Identity Trap (ft. Nitika Chopra)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Nitika Chopra, founder of Chronicon, chronic illness advocate, and someone who has been navigating life with a body that doesn't cooperate since she was 10 years old. We discuss everything from our lifelong fights with chronic illness to finding identity outside of the fight. Tune into hear more about: 🧒 Nitika’s diagnosis story (psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis) — what growing up feeling completely separate from everyone around her actually felt like + being bombarded by toxic positivity messaging that made her feel responsible for her own illness ⚡ What triggered her neuromuscular disease — six months of terrifying undiagnosed symptoms including double vision, neuroinflammation, inability to smile or swallow, before finally being diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis 💊 The Prednisone impact - rapid weight gain & the treatment reality that nobody glamorizes 🪞 The chronic illness identity shift — Nitika's realization that she was only allowing herself to build an identity around chronic illness and being sick, and why she refuses to let the community feel like they have to stay sick to still belong 🤍 The duality of chronic illness — and why remission can feel as complicated as a flare This one hit close to home for me personally. We are in the peaks AND the pits of this life. And this conversation is for both. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: Has your chronic illness ever become part of your identity in a way that felt hard to let go of? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:10 Intro to Nitika Chopra Nitika’s Diagnostic History: 00:02:04 Nitika’s first chronic illness diagnosis at age 10 00:05:42 Growing up in Ohio & feelings of separateness 00:06:17 Developing psoriatic arthritis 10 years later Young Adulthood & Career Evolution: 00:11:36 Dealing with severe chronic flare-ups in Nitika’s early 20s 00:12:01 The impact of toxic positivity and damaging self-help culture 00:14:03 Physical isolation, medication shifts, and accepting help 00:23:58 What is Myasthenia Gravis & Nitika’s diagnosis story 00:29:44 Weight swings and rapid 40-pound gain from prednisone The Duality of the Chronic Illness Identity: 00:36:24 Nuances of the chronic illness identity and outgrowing aspects of it 00:41:27 The juxtaposition of needing a freedom to heal while also needing the community that get’s the pits of chronic illness 00:45:00 How Alex’s pregnancy remission state has shifted her identity and relation to chronic illness for the time being Conclusion: 00:49:25 One Brain Cell picks of the week (Survival of the Thickest (Netflix), Famesick by Lena Dunham) 00:51:22 Where to find Nitika Chopra (@nitakachopra) 00:52:57 Thank you for listening (Like, Subscribe, and Share!) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest: Nitika Chopra! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nitikachopra/?hl=en • Website - https://nitikachopra.com/ • Join ChroniCon - https://chronicon.co/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllnessIdentity #NitikChopra #Chronicon #Psoriasis #PsoriaticArthritis #MyastheniaGravis #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicIllnessCommunity #ToxicPositivity #RemissionGuilt #ChronicIllnessAwareness #IdentityShift #BelongingWithoutBeingSick #ChronicPain #MentalHealth #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Chronic Illness Identity Trap (ft. Nitika Chopra)

  3. Jul 22 ·  Bonus

    Pregnancy Q&A: Cyclospora Anxiety, Birth & Feeding Plans, Registry Decisions & more!

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m answering all your pregnancy Q&A! We're diving into: 🥬 My Cyclospora anxiety — what foods I’m avoiding and why I’m mad at the government (lol) 🩺 How to actually start your pregnancy journey with chronic illness — the preconception appointment you NEED to make now!!! 👶 Second trimester update — autoimmune status, ultrasound anxiety during gap, and how I’m feeling overall 🧬 Why we’re NOT scared about passing on my chronic illness to our kids 💉 My birth plan — My thoughts on my delivery, epidural & pain medication, and if I feel guilt about my decisions 🍼 Feeding plans — How I’m thinking about breastfeeding, freeze-dried donor milk, and formula 🛏️ Sleep planning — How we’re trying to stay ahead of the sleep deprivation (lol!!) 🛒 My top Registry picks — and the things that have already changed !!! xx,  Alex 💬 Comment: What's the one pregnancy question you wish someone had answered honestly for you? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:54 Coping with pregnancy anxiety, food rules, and parasite fears 00:01:56 Substack updates: group chats and weekly posts Q&A - Pregnancy & Chronic Illness Planning: 00:02:56 Navigating pregnancy planning with chronic illness 00:05:42 Mid-pregnancy check-in 00:11:28 My thoughts on genetic testing and passing on chronic illnesses Q&A - Nursery, Birth Plans & Registries: 00:14:01 What we’ve done to prep his nursery so far 00:16:00 My thoughts on preparing for labor 00:17:44 Ditching the medication guilt during pregnancy 00:19:04 How we are (trying!!) to prepare for postpartum life + sleep deprivation 00:22:13 The HARDEST picks on my registry - Strollers, mattresses, and pumps Conclusion: 00:26:14 Are we going to change our minds… again!? 00:27:28 Thank You for Listening!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #PregnancyQA #ChronicIllnessPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #LupusPregnancy #AutoimmunePregnancy #BabyRegistry #BirthPlan #SecondTrimester #PregnancyWithChronicIllness #MaternalFetalMedicine #NightNurse #BabyBoy #MomToBe #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #PregnancyAnxiety #GeneticTesting #Breastfeeding #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pregnancy Q&A: Cyclospora Anxiety, Birth & Feeding Plans, Registry Decisions & more!

  4. Jul 20

    Chronic Illness Q&A: Staying Positive, Infusion Prep, New Endometriosis Trials & More

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m answering all your chronic illness Q&A! We're diving into: ⚖️ The NUMBER ONE rule I live my life by and navigate chronic illness with💉 My top tips for preparing for an infusion⚠️ The Amazon supplement warning you need to hear!!💼 How I navigate work with chronic illness (corporate America and entrepreneurship)🔬 The Endometriosis medication trial you NEED to hear about (Endo 205 Peptide) Plus my thoughts on toxic positivity, my thoughts on optimization culture, riding the waves of life's dualities, and why community is the thing that actually keeps me going on the hard days. xx,  Alex 💬 Comment: What's your number one chronic illness life hack that has actually moved the needle for you? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:29 RSVP for Calling in Sick’s Next Virtual Event (Fourth Wing Book Club) Q&A - Finding Balance & Life Hacks: 00:01:53 Finding positivity while chronically sick 00:03:51 My #1 TIP for managing life and chronic illness 00:05:53 How I prepare for and navigate immunotherapy and chemotherapy infusion days Q&A - Wellness Culture, Supplements & Career: 00:07:53 My HOT TAKE on optimization culture and the wellness industry 00:10:56 The truth about the supplement market 00:13:49 Navigating corporate America with a chronic illness 00:16:47 Managing entrepreneurship on the hard days 00:19:25 How the Calling in Sick podcast got started 00:24:00 Exciting advancements in women's health (Endo 205 peptide) Conclusion: 00:27:12 One Brain Cell Show: Love Island (+ California’s new great streaming law!!) 00:28:13 Substack Updates!!! 00:29:38 Thank You for Listening!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllness #LupusPregnancy #AutoimmuneRemission #Endometriosis #EndoResearch #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #ChronicIllnessLife #Lupus #Vasculitis #8020Rule #SupplementWarning #ChronicIllnessCareer #ChronicIllnessMom #PregnancyWithChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #Rituxan #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Chronic Illness Q&A: Staying Positive, Infusion Prep, New Endometriosis Trials & More

  5. Jul 15 ·  Bonus

    Living at the Intersection of Chronic Illness and Autism (ft. Patrick Casale)

    This week on Calling in Sick x Ask Alex, Patrick Casale is back — and we're getting into the overlap that almost nobody talks about - living at the intersection of autism and chronic illness.  Patrick found out he was autistic in 2021. At almost the exact same time, he started choking on his food, regurgitating, waking up gasping. For nearly a year he was told it was acid reflux. Or GERD. Or — say it with me — anxiety. Have you tried mindfulness? It turned out to be Zenker's diverticulum, a condition affecting a fraction of a percent of the population, most of them over 65. Sound familiar? We're diving into: 🫁 Patrick's diagnostic odyssey — a year of being disbelieved, and the one provider who finally said "you sound like you have this really weird condition" 🧠 Why autism, ADHD, POTS, MCAS, hEDS and chronic fatigue keep showing up together — and why nobody's connecting the dots for you 🚩 The gaslighting-to-self-gaslighting pipeline — how being dismissed enough times teaches you to dismiss yourself 📋 Interoception, people-pleasing & underselling — why you say "a 4" when it's really a 12, and how that delays your care 🎤 Rapid-fire online stereotypes — "ADHD is just a lack of discipline," "you don't look autistic," "everyone's a little bit autistic," "getting accommodations is cheating," "everyone experiences burnout." Patrick gets the mic drop on all of them. 🎭 The masking conversation nobody's having — why "just unmask!" is a privileged take, and when masking is genuinely the right call ♿️ High vs. low functioning — why "high functioning" is not a badge of honor, and how it lands you in burnout Plus: accommodations are your legal right, not a favor. Stop asking. Start telling. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: what's the "ism" you're most tired of hearing? I'll add it to the list. TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Ask Alex! (Ft. Patrick Casale) 00:00:25 Patrick's chronic illness diagnosis (Zenker's diverticulum) Patrick Casale: 00:04:06 Finding the right provider — and the moment you believe yourself again 00:08:44 The crossover of autism and chronic illness 00:13:20 Tips for navigating care (interoception, people-pleasing + reference docs) 00:16:20 Rapid fire online stereotypes (self-diagnosis, masking, burnout, etc) Conclusion: 00:36:10 Where to find Patrick 00:37:20 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest, Patrick Casale, MA: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/patrick.casale/?hl=en • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@patrickcasale • Podcast (All Things Private Practice + Diverging Conversations with Dr. Megan Neff) - https://www.youtube.com/c/allthingsprivatepractice • Substack - https://patrickcasale.substack.com/ • Website - https://www.allthingspractice.com/freebie-vault-2026 • TedX Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyImqW69OY4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #AutisticBurnout #LateDiagnosedAutistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent #AuDHD #Masking #Unmasking #InternalizedAbleism #ChronicIllness #Dysautonomia #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DisabilityAwareness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #PatrickCasale #MentalHealth #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Living at the Intersection of Chronic Illness and Autism (ft. Patrick Casale)

  6. Jul 13

    Living with Autism: Late Diagnosis, Internalized Ableism, Unmasking (ft. (Patrick Casale, MA)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Patrick Casale — licensed clinical mental health counselor, TEDx speaker, host of Diverging Conversations with Dr. Megan Neff, and someone who found out he was autistic at 35.  If you're chronically ill, neurodivergent, or living at the intersection of both, this one is going to hit. We get into what happens when the world's box is simply not built for your body or your brain — and what it costs to keep forcing yourself into it anyway. We're diving into: 🧠 Autistic burnout is NOT workplace burnout — you cannot fix it with a four-day weekend or a spa vacation, and Patrick explains exactly why 🎭 The masking bill comes due — scripting small talk, mimicking facial expressions, not knowing what to do with your hands, and the fatigue that follows 🔍 Diagnosed at 35 — the internal ableism, the imposter syndrome, and the "grief-relief paradox" of finally having a name for your whole life ⚡️ "An exposed nerve ending going through life" — the line a friend said to Patrick that reframed everything 👋 The great friend shedding — why people say "you're always sick now," and how you find the ones who move to the shade for you ❤️‍🩹 Reparenting your inner child — the fidget toy, the little girl at a 100 person dinner, and repairing the kid who never got support We also go WAY down an Anthony Bourdain rabbit hole, because of course we did. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: tell me about the person in your life who accommodates you without ever making it a “thing”. TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! (Ft. Patrick Casale) Patrick Casale: 00:04:43 What is autistic burnout? (And why a spa weekend won't fix it) 00:07:50 Introduction to Patrick — background, career + the ADHD diagnosis 00:18:34 Pursuing an autism diagnosis at 35 — masking, assessment, disclosure 00:29:00 Coming to terms with autistic identity (the grief-relief paradox) 00:31:55 Internalized ableism 00:35:52 The great friend shedding 00:43:55 Reparenting your inner child Conclusion: 00:47:07 One Brain Cell Show: Apple TV, cooking competitions & comfort rewatches 00:53:03 Where to find Patrick 00:54:15 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest, Patrick Casale, MA: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/patrick.casale/?hl=en • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@patrickcasale • Podcast (All Things Private Practice + Diverging Conversations with Dr. Megan Neff) - https://www.youtube.com/c/allthingsprivatepractice • Substack - https://patrickcasale.substack.com/ • Website - https://www.allthingspractice.com/freebie-vault-2026 • TedX Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyImqW69OY4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #AutisticBurnout #LateDiagnosedAutistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent #AuDHD #Masking #Unmasking #InternalizedAbleism #ChronicIllness #Dysautonomia #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DisabilityAwareness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #PatrickCasale #MentalHealth #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Living with Autism: Late Diagnosis, Internalized Ableism, Unmasking (ft. (Patrick Casale, MA)

  7. Jul 8 ·  Bonus

    How to Manage Chronic Pain Without Breaking the Bank | Q&A with Pain Psychologist, Dr. Rachel Zoffness

    This week on Calling in Sick x Ask Alex, I'm sitting down with Dr. Rachel Zoffness — pain scientist, pain psychologist, Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF, lecturer at Stanford, and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts. We are getting into the practical side of chronic pain management. Because understanding the science is one thing… but actually having tools you can use today, regardless of your budget or access to care, is another. We're diving into: 🏃 Movement as medicine — where to start when you can barely move, and why even stretching or pedaling your legs while lying down changes your brain chemistry 🧘 Biofeedback — what it is, how it works, and why the American Migraine Foundation says it can be as effective as popular pharmaceutical drugs for migraines 🧠 How your prefrontal cortex magnifies pain — and why distraction and joy are not just "nice to haves" but actual clinical tools 👻 Phantom limb pain — 80% of amputees experience pain in limbs that no longer exist, and what that tells us about where pain actually lives 🔥 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) — what it is, how it hijacks your physiology, and why the cycle of avoiding movement makes it worse 📚 Accessible resources — Dr. Z's workbooks and protocols for people who cannot access or afford private clinical care xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What activity or moment has ever given YOU unexpected relief from your chronic pain? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:04 Guest Intro: Dr. Rachel Zoffnes, pain scientist and clinical psychologist Improving Accessibility in Pain Management: 00:01:48 Dr. Zoffnes’ workbooks and pro bono work for free access to treatments 00:02:35 Movement as Medicine: Starting where the body and brain are ready & the biological benefits 00:03:52 "Fuzz Therapy": The data-backed impact of pets on pain Biofeedback and the Mind-Body Connection: 00:04:41 Introduction to Biofeedback: Using sensors to read biological processes 00:07:02 The science of stress: How fight-or-flight affects skin temperature & what to do about it 00:09:16 Biofeedback effectiveness for migraines compared to pharmaceuticals Understanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): 00:10:12 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): Physiological hijacking and symptoms 00:13:52 The cycle of protection: How lack of movement amplifies pain 00:15:20 The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) as a magnifier of physical sensations… and how using distractions can lower the “pain volume” Conclusion: 00:18:14 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest, Dr. Rachel Zoffness, PhD: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/therealdoczoff/?hl=en • Resources - https://www.zoffness.com/resources • Website - https://www.zoffness.com/ Buy her book here: https://amzn.to/4aDThGb ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicPain #PainScience #BiopsychosocialModel #PainPsychology #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DrRachelZoffness #TellMeWhereItHurts #PainManagement #NeuroplasticPain #CentralSensitization #TraumaAndPain #ChronicPainAwareness #PainRecipe #PainDial #PainReprocessing #MentalHealth #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How to Manage Chronic Pain Without Breaking the Bank | Q&A with Pain Psychologist, Dr. Rachel Zoffness

  8. Jul 6

    Can You Retrain Your Brain to Reduce Chronic Pain? | Dr. Rachel Zoffness

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Dr. Rachel Zoffness — pain scientist, pain psychologist, Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF, lecturer at Stanford, and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts. If you have chronic pain, chronic illness, or you've ever been told your pain is "just stress" or "all in your head" — this episode is going to change the way you think about your body forever. We're diving into: 🧠 The biopsychosocial model — why pain lives at the intersection of biology, psychology, AND sociology, and why treating only one is failing patients 🍳 Your pain recipe — the ingredients driving your pain up and down, and how to identify YOUR low-pain recipe ⛽️ The pain dial — how emotions act as a volume knob for pain, and why joy and laughter are actually medicine 👻 Phantom limb pain — the proof that pain is constructed in the brain, not just in tissue 😴 The ingredients most people never connect to pain — sleep, stress, trauma, diet, and your nervous system 💊 What actually works — biofeedback, CBT-I, pain-science PT, trauma-informed therapy, and why insurance covers surgery but not the treatments with the best evidence This is not a hopeless conversation. Dr. Z's message is clear: chronic pain has more tools than we are told. And there are ingredients in your pain recipe that haven't been targeted yet!!! xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What's one thing in your life that you've noticed turns your pain dial UP — and what turns it DOWN? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:00:04 Guest Intro: Dr. Rachel Zoffnes, pain scientist and clinical psychologist Understanding Chronic Pain: 00:02:52 Acute vs. Chronic Pain: The distinction and definitions 00:04:30 Addressing the myth that pain is "all in your head" 00:05:44 Phantom limb pain and how the brain constructs pain 00:07:05 The "Pain Recipe": Identifying high pain vs. low pain ingredients The Biopsychosocial Pain Model: 00:12:38 Intro to the Biopsychosocial Model (Biological, Psychological, Sociological) 00:14:14 The Psychological Domain: Shared neural real estate between emotions and pain 00:18:41 The Sociological Domain: Trauma, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors 00:21:04 Exploring the somatic (physical) components of every emotion Trauma, Sensitivity, and Recovery: 00:24:13 Trauma's role in priming a hyper-sensitive nervous system 00:27:02 The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and susceptibility to chronic pain 00:32:17 Expanding horizons: Finding the right providers (PT, OT, Biofeedback, CBT-I, EMDR) 00:42:22 Gaps in medical education regarding pain science & the insurance part Conclusion: 00:47:12 One Brain Cell Show: Awakening (Oliver Sachs) Robin Williams Stand-up comedy (everywhere) and Clarkson’s Farm (Amazon Prime) 00:51:10 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest, Dr. Rachel Zoffness, PhD: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/therealdoczoff/?hl=en • Resources - https://www.zoffness.com/resources • Website - https://www.zoffness.com/ Buy her book here: https://amzn.to/4aDThGb ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicPain #PainScience #BiopsychosocialModel #PainPsychology #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DrRachelZoffness #TellMeWhereItHurts #PainManagement #NeuroplasticPain #CentralSensitization #TraumaAndPain #ChronicPainAwareness #PainRecipe #PainDial #PainReprocessing #MentalHealth #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Can You Retrain Your Brain to Reduce Chronic Pain? | Dr. Rachel Zoffness
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About

Welcome to the Calling in Sick, hosted by Alex Wildeson and produced by Just Media. On this podcast, Alex shares her unfiltered personal journey battling several autoimmune and chronic conditions including Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Vasculitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) / Lupus, Endometriosis, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She also provides practical “how-to” guides, explores hot topics, and welcomes other warriors, medical professionals, advocates and creators on the show to shed light on the latest healing modalities, promising treatments, and myth bust popular misconceptions and trendy health hacks. Tune in for some laughs, tears, and growth… but stay for the camaraderie and community. You can engage with Alex and the community through social media @callinginsickpod. We promise, you don’t need a doctor’s note for this one!

Information

  • Creator
    Just Media
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Explicit