The Chronic Pain Couple (Karra Eloff, Exisle)

Karra Eloff met her forever partner while she was struck with chronic pain. Since that time Eloff, a health professional, founded the Chronic Pain Couple, an organisation that delivers practical support to people with chronic pain. This is the accompanying book, a practical guide written by an understanding expert and based on years of experience. Eloff’s aim is to change perspectives, and to help couples have ‘a remarkable relationship’ rather than simply dealing the best they can with chronic pain. By generously telling stories from her own life, before and after pain, Eloff provides the reader with an inside view of how she and her partner achieved their own remarkable relationship. Her story is always truthful and doesn’t shy away from the hard bits. While reading this book I was staying with friends, one of whom deals with chronic pain. Seeing them adapt to a new life with pain is impressive yet daunting. For them, it often feels as though there is nothing that will help, or that help will be patronising or distant. Eloff, however, is neither. Readers who found solace in The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman or Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Julie Smith will get a lot out of The Chronic Pain Couple.

Rebecca Whitehead is a freelance writer from Melbourne.

Category: Reviews