What Joy Can Survive: Chronic Illness and Healing with K.J. Ramsey (Ep 086)

Episode 86: What Joy Can Survive? Chronic Illness and Healing with K.J. RamseyWhat if healing isn’t about getting rid of pain—but about learning how to remain fully alive within it?In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by K.J. Ramsey, trauma-informed therapist, author, and chronic illness advocate. Her new memoir, The Place Between Our Pains, explores life with chronic illness, medical trauma, and the complicated relationship many of us have with our bodies when healing doesn’t look the way we expected.Together, Mickey and K.J. explore what it means to live well even when symptoms persist. They discuss medical gaslighting, identity shifts, self-trust, redefining healing, and why joy and grief often coexist in the chronic illness experience.K.J. also shares how journaling and creative practices helped her process pain, reconnect with herself, and remain present through years of illness and uncertainty.In this episode, you’ll learn:How chronic illness can shape identity, especially in early adulthoodWhy medical gaslighting is so damaging—and how self-trust becomes essentialThe emotional impact of being sick without clear answers or validationHow dissociation and disconnection from the body can develop during chronic illnessWhy speaking to your body with compassion changes the healing processWhat it means to redefine healing beyond symptom eliminationHow chronic illness can deepen connection, creativity, and joyWhy grief and joy often coexist in the healing journeyThe role of journaling and creative practices in processing pain and stressHow creativity can help transform suffering into meaning and alivenessWhy “being fully alive” may matter more than becoming symptom-freeResources:K.J. RamseyWebsite: https://www.kjramsey.comInstagram: @kjramseywritesBook: The Place Between Our PainsEpisode Timeline:00:00 – Introduction and trigger warning01:04 – Introducing K.J. Ramsey and The Place Between Our Pains04:33 – Identity and illness in early adulthood09:20 – Medical gaslighting and self-trust16:01 – Dissociation, embodiment, and learning to listen to the body24:14 – Redefining healing and living fully with pain32:19 – How illness changes us40:15 – Journaling, creativity, and processing pain52:08 – Wrap-up and closing reflections