The Story Behind the Symptoms Podcast with Dr David Clarke

It's been a wee while since I added a new resource of this quality to my library of recommendations, and I'm delighted to share it here with you all.

The Story Behind the Symptoms podcast is brought to you by the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS, previously known as the PPDA) and hosted by chronic pain expert and president of the ATNS, Dr David Clarke. The ATNS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to understanding neuroplastic pain, led by volunteer medical experts, scientists and patient advocates, and their mission is to provide clear and reliable education on recovery from chronic symptoms and equip patients and practitioners with the tools for effective diagnosis and treatment.

This relatively new podcast (admittedly, I'm a little behind!) is available on all major platforms. It is quickly gaining popularity, with episodes available regularly on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts (I've linked them all above, beneath the main image of Dr Clarke).

I deeply resonate and respect Clarke's approach, specifically because he often refers to childhood experiences as being the core narrative that drives chronic symptoms, and he's particularly great at guiding folks to uncover and honour the story and root of the symptoms in a really compassionate and gentle way. He helps us look for clues in our present and our past, then, through these stories, we can uncover that many of our unexplained symptoms stem from neuroplastic processes, pathways our brains learned in response to the stress, trauma, and adversity we've faced. The most powerful part is realising that when we understand these patterns within our own lives, that knowledge becomes our healing, freeing us from the need for invasive procedures or long-term medical treatment.

You can find out more about Dr Clarke and the ATNS here. Check it out and let me know what you think!