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When Pushing Through Makes You Sicker: Chronic Pain, Opioids, and Redefining Resilience | Nancy Deyo
Description
What happens when the mindset that made you successful starts making you sicker?
Former Silicon Valley CEO Nancy Deyo set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro after a painful business setback. A serious spinal injury on the mountain began a 15-year struggle with chronic pain, opioid dependence, anxiety, depression, and a medical system that often doubted what she was experiencing.
Nancy shares how she stopped treating resilience as endless endurance and began rebuilding her life through acceptance, adaptation, self-trust, and support. Her recovery did not mean returning to her old life—it meant creating a new one that honored her body without surrendering her purpose.
In this conversation, you'll hear:
- How a Kilimanjaro injury changed Nancy's life
- Why chronic pain and mental health cannot be separated
- How opioid dependence can develop during legitimate pain treatment
- What medical dismissal does to a patient's sense of reality
- Why pushing harder can sometimes delay healing
- How Nancy rebuilt her identity, education, career, and relationships
- A healthier definition of resilience based on listening and adapting
Nancy's message for anyone who feels stuck: you are not alone, advocacy matters, and there may be a way forward even if it looks different from the life you expected.
Learn more about Nancy:
Life Inside Pain with Nancy Deyo
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