Illness can be very isolating. In my work i have tried to portray the overwhelming relief felt – the revelation, that comes when someone who previously felt that they were suffering alone realizes that there are others who feel, or have felt the same. It is a huge relief and I think a very therapeutic experience. I think that it highlights the value of peer support in therapy and holistic care – in all types of chronic illness. For me it also emphasizes the importance of empathy in practitioners.

I wrote the poem as a ‘stream of consciousness’ – it has barely any editing. The images all came into my mind while I was thinking about my experiences. I tried to turn it into a rhythmic, rhyming poem but this felt too contrived. As it stands, this poem is more a raw collection of thoughts – I enjoyed the creative process and found the writing therapeutic in itself.