But You Look So Good

It can feel like we're carrying far more than our own lives right now.
There are wars unfolding across the world, political instability, economic uncertainty, the relentless cost of living, the rapid rise of AI changing the way we work and communicate, climate events, and a constant stream of breaking news designed to capture our attention.
For people living with chronic illness, all of that lands on top of an already full nervous system.
Today's episode is about recognising that feeling overwhelmed isn't a personal failing - it's often a very understandable response to living through extraordinarily uncertain times while managing the ongoing demands of chronic illness.
As always, we'll mix psychology with lived experience and a few laughs along the way.

⁠⁠⁠Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)⁠⁠⁠
⁠But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)⁠
⁠Webinars and Resources⁠
If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit⁠ ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast⁠⁠

Today's guest is someone who knows firsthand what it means to support a child living with a chronic illness. Lainey is a mum of two daughters, and one of them, Samara, has faced more medical challenges in her almost 13 years than most people experience in a lifetime.
Born prematurely at 33 weeks with a complex heart condition, Samara's journey has included serious complications, multiple hospital admissions, life-saving treatment, and years of uncertainty. Alongside it all, Lainey has navigated the emotional reality of being not just a mum, but also an advocate, a carer, and the steady presence her family needed.
In this conversation, we talk about the invisible weight of caring, the decisions no parent ever expects to make, and what it means to hold both fear and hope at the same time.
Lainey shares her story with such honesty and warmth, and whether you're a parent, a carer, or simply someone who loves a person living with chronic illness, I think you'll find much that resonates.
This is Lainey's story. We hope you enjoy.

⁠⁠⁠Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)⁠⁠⁠
⁠But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)⁠
⁠Webinars and Resources⁠
If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit⁠ ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast⁠⁠

Have you ever cried in a medical appointment and felt like your emotions became the diagnosis? Living with a chronic illness brings real loss, uncertainty, fear and grief—and those emotions are often a healthy response to a difficult reality. In this episode, we explore how both healthcare professionals and society can sometimes mistake normal human reactions for depression or anxiety, and why that matters. 
We discuss three common examples of emotional experiences being pathologized, the difference between understandable distress and mental illness, and why context is so important. We also talk about the other side of the conversation: when persistent or overwhelming emotions may signal that extra support is needed. It's an honest, compassionate discussion about validating emotions without dismissing the importance of mental health care.

⁠⁠⁠Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)⁠⁠⁠

⁠But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)⁠

⁠Webinars and Resources⁠

If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit⁠ ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast⁠⁠

Today, you'll be hearing from Tahlia, whose health journey began when she was just 19 years old, after being diagnosed with cervical dystonia—a neurological condition that causes involuntary neck movements and chronic pain. But, as is so often the case with chronic illness, that was only the beginning. Over the years, Tahlia was also diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, severe POTS, and, most recently, a rare blood disorder. Each diagnosis brought its own wave of grief, uncertainty, and adjustment.
What makes Tahlia's story so compelling isn't just what she's been through, it's how she's navigated it. She shares her journey from hiding her illnesses out of shame to openly speaking about chronic illness and disability online - something, as she'll tell you herself, she never could have imagined doing just five years ago.
In this episode, we talk about internalised ableism, the grief that can accompany both expected and unexpected diagnoses, and what it really looks like to learn to love yourself - not in spite of your body, but alongside it.

Dr Talia:
Instagram: @drtaliaphd

⁠⁠⁠Links
Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)⁠⁠⁠

⁠But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)⁠

⁠Webinars and Resources⁠

If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit⁠ ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast⁠⁠

Living with a chronic illness isn't just physically exhausting—it can be emotionally confusing too. People often ask, "How are you?" and we answer, "Fine," because finding the words for what's really happening can feel impossible.
In this episode, we explore why emotions become so complicated after diagnosis and throughout life with chronic illness. We introduce the Feelings Wheel—a simple but powerful tool that helps people move beyond broad emotions like "sad" or "stressed" to better understand what they're actually experiencing.
We'll share our own experiences, discuss what the research tells us, and explain why being able to name emotions can actually improve emotional wellbeing, relationships, and coping.
Go to https://www.butyoulooksogood.com.au/podcast-resources to download your free Feelings Wheel!

⁠⁠⁠Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)⁠⁠⁠

⁠But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)⁠

⁠Webinars and Resources⁠

If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit⁠ ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast⁠⁠