Thanks Fern and the others who shared their stories here. That must have been a very difficult experience for you, but I am glad that you and your therapist are working together to figure it out. I agree that the mind and body are connected and keeping the mind healthy will help keep the body healthy and visa versa. I think for me it's a bit of both interacting. I definitely had a medical issue that started off a lot of symptoms for me, but I think all the anxiety I experience has not really helped my body to recover, and depression probably worsens my pain. I also appreciate that you mentioned some causes are outside of our control since I have had my symptoms written off as psychosomatic when there are other things going on which makes me feel like my story is not believed when I explain it and it can be invalidating. However, I am trying to recognize that I might be able to improve some of my symptoms by improving my mental health and kind of approach my health from all angles in a holistic sense.