Perspective. It's all about perspective. Survivors of trauma often suffer physical and mental health symptoms long after the trauma is over. Sometimes these symptoms are body memories, such as pains that interpersonal violence survivors where an injury used to be. Sometimes these pains do not seem to make as much "sense". For example, some survivors experience chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Like me.
Interestingly enough, I am also a personal trainer and fitness instructor. This may seem like a ridiculous career for a chronic pain/fatigue sufferer to have, but that is where perspective comes in. I used to work for a woman who suffered fibromyalgia. (It should also be noted that she initially suffered from anxiety.) Her pains would often be so unbearable that she would be forced to work from her home. Her job was sedentary. She struggled with her weight, not because she ate poorly, but because she was in too much pain to move.
My job keeps me moving. Exhausting, yes. Painful, absolutely. I am also fit. I am tired and achey, especially on cold, rainy days, but at least I am able to move and do that which is necessary to be an independent individual. On Sundays, my anxiety levels often increase because I know that I will have to "perform" tomorrow, to force my body to move vigorously while making it look easy, when I'd rather curl up and sleep. It feels awful. It is also beautiful because I have a job that forces me to do these things as opposed to keeping still all day and actually making things much worse.
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