Thoughts on Some of Us Just Fall by Polly Atkin
I came across Polly Atkin when I was listening to a podcast about the scandal that has been developing around the Salt path by Raynor Wynn I have never read the Salt path itself, but knowing the ideas it contains I was glad to see that there was someone else talking about how damaging it is to have such a widely read narrative that spreads the much disproved idea that you just need to get some exercise in order to make any kind of illness go away, so when I heard that Atkin had written a memoir that set out to tell a real story of someone living with a chronic illness I immediately sought it out.
The book is so rich in how it mixes literature, nature and personal history while giving an honest account of what it is like live with a chronic illness and to go through the labyrinthine process of getting a diagnosis and how even after one diagnosis the process remains an ongoing thing. As a keen lake swimmer Atkin discusses the history of water and nature cures and how they are at best distraction techniques or coping mechanisms, despite other people presenting them as a cure. As a disabled person myself I thought I knew a bit about navigating the systems that are needed to access healthcare in this country, but this book taught me a lot about what it is like to live with a dynamic disability.
There were still bits I recognised around the constant fight to advocate for yourself when you know what you need and the difficulty when you are not listened to. It also illustrates the constant decision making and weighing of choices that a disabled person needs to make when they have limited energy and know their experiences will not be straightforward.
I believe this book is an important read for anyone who wants to understand more about what living with a dynamic condition is like and I feel like members of the disabled community who read it will be able to see parts of their experiences reflected in a way that is far too rare. I also think it will help me as a therapist as it has given me a better background knowledge to draw on when I am working with people who live with chronic pain.