Wellness Culture Can F*** Off - A New Look At Living With Chronic Illness with Lucy Pasha-Robinson

Storyteller with Lisa Golden

When you’re not well, there are some things you don’t want to hear…

Have you tried yoga?

Are you drinking enough water?

Have to tried this supplement, or that wacky Goop craze?

Well, today’s guest, Lucy Pasha Robinson, the opinions editor at HuffPost UK, has had enough. Which is why she’s the host of their new podcast series called Chronic.

Chronic is an unashamedly anti-wellness podcast. And this is why I wanted Lucy to come on the show. There is a story that we tell about health. About being well, and being unwell. Of fixing things. Of battling things. Of fighting things. When the reality of the worlds of health and illness do not have a clear delineation.

No one knows this better than people who live with chronic conditions. The kind of people Lucy talks to on the podcast. Chronic is challenging the narrative of a constant pursuit of wellness at all costs, and rather focuses on the intricacies, lessons and humour of living with a chronic illness.

Welcome to Storyteller, a podcast about how, and why, we tell stories. We have quite a few new listeners join us since last week, so I wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I’m your host, Lisa Golden, I’m a journalist and documentary filmmaker, obsessed with the intricacies of storytelling. So this podcast is a chance to hear from people from all fields and from all over the world. I’ve had poets, and journalists and performers on, but I’ve also had academics, scientists and even a Buddhist nun on. We’re all storytellers, and this podcast is here to feed your curiosity, to spark ideas in your brain, get you thinking about the stories that are being told around you and maybe even the stories you want to tell yourself.

I loved this conversation with Lucy because what I found so interesting about listening to people share their experiences on Chronic, is how much discomfort people who don’t understand chronic illness, bring to those who have these conditions. So, what I mean is, these narratives and stories about striving for health, health as something that is achievable if you just put a bit of elbow grease into it and take your vitamins - these narratives and beliefs add an extra layer of pain for people already dealing with their own physical experiences.

We also discuss the structure of the health system, why we’re so uncomfortable with illness and Lucy shares her own experiences which led to her making Chronic in the first place.

SHOW NOTES:

Listen to Chronic here

Follow Lucy on Twitter here

Send Lisa your thoughts about the show on

Twitter @lisajozi or @storytellerpod1

Instagram @lisagoldenjozi or @storyteller_pod

Or drop her an email at [e-mail] for a shout on in the following week's episode!

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