Rob's experience of managing his chronic pain

Part of the pain management video series commissioned by Leeds Community Healthcare. These videos are to help look at how the Pain Management team and other services can improve people's experiences of managing their chronic pain.

Rob, from the Gildersome Morley area of Leeds, lives with arthritis and fibromyalgia, conditions that have left him spending up to 70% of his time in bed. Daily tasks, such as dressing, cooking, and attending appointments, can be physically and mentally exhausting. He relies on morphine for pain relief, which helps manage symptoms but causes extreme fatigue.

His husband plays a vital role as a caregiver, managing not just the household but also appointments, benefit processes, and emotional support. Rob feels isolated from social life and often chooses to stay home because others don’t understand his condition.

Rob also lives with depression and anxiety, which are worsened by his physical limitations. He feels caught in a vicious cycle between pain and poor mental health and reports a lack of holistic or consistent support from health services. He has had limited success with pain clinics and expresses frustration with what he sees as a "tick-box" approach to care.

Rob is especially concerned about attempts to reduce opioid use without alternative pain relief, feeling that decisions are driven more by cost than patient needs. He’s experienced gaps in GP continuity, a lack of coordination between services, and no proactive mental health support unless he initiates it.

One standout experience was with a compassionate GP who took time to listen and involved both him and his husband in the conversation. Rob wants to see more continuity in care, better coordination between services, the inclusion of mental health and family support, flexible access options such as phone or email, and an approach that recognises the individual, not just the condition.