ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses many patients with inflammatory disease over long periods of time, and opportunities do arise to discuss openly what the underlying experiences were behind them becoming ill. She begins to see consistent and compelling relationships between unique psychosocial stressors and all types of inflammatory diseases. In fact what is better than having a rheumatologist with personal experience of inflammatory arthritis and insight into how difficult it is to try and change their way of being. The earthquake has changed her personal and professional landscape. Building a community of like-minded individuals, fostering collegial relationships, consolidating her knowledge in the two new areas of ophthalmology and immunology, keeping engaged in supervision, perhaps developing her psychotherapy skills formally, and using mindfulness will all help. The aftershocks have subsided to some extent, and the re-building has started.
