What happens when you're getting better from chronic illness but genuinely can't see it? In this episode, I explore the early stages of grief as they apply to healing—specifically shock and denial—and reveal why tracking your symptoms is crucial for recognising your own progress.

As a Naturopath, I've seen this pattern countless times: clients come in for follow-up appointments saying "I'm still not sleeping well" or "nothing's changed," but when we review the detailed data from their first session, the improvement is dramatic. They've gone from five terrible nights a week to two, their energy has doubled, and they're no longer reaching for painkillers—but they can't see it.

This is denial in chronic illness recovery—not refusing to believe you're sick, but struggling to trust that you're actually getting better.

I walk through all seven stages of grief (shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance) and explain which ones show up most often in healing journeys. I also share the homoeopathic remedies I use for clients processing shock: Ignatia for emotional shock, Arnica for physical trauma, and Aconite for the "deer in the headlights" feeling.

Topics covered:

• The 7 stages of grief applied to chronic illness recovery (and why they're not linear)
• When shock does and doesn't show up in healing
• Homoeopathic remedies for shock: Ignatia, Arnica, and Aconite
• Why most chronic illness patients experience denial about getting better
• My 2-hour initial consultation process and why it matters
• How I quantify symptoms: pain scales, energy levels, and aggravating factors
• Real example: sleep improving from 5 bad nights to 2, but the client can't see it
• Why tracking data proves improvement when your brain can't recognise it
• Moving from denial to hope, optimism, and owning your new normal
• How TCM uses symptom patterns to diagnose imbalances

• If you're recovering from chronic illness and struggling to see your own progress, or supporting someone who can't recognise they're improving, this episode will help you understand why—and how to break through that denial.

YouTube Episode: https://youtu.be/zMmjpmvYELg