Building Resilience with Dr. Katie Gorman Ezell and her student Katie

This podcast episode delves into the concept of resilience, especially as it pertains to individuals with chronic illnesses like POTS. Dr. Katie Gorman-Ezell, a social worker and professor, discusses resilience with her student Katie, who lives with Goldenhar syndrome. Resilience is described as the ability to overcome adversity and resume functioning, though the discussion reveals that it's often complex for chronic illness patients who may not "get back to baseline" but instead find a new way of living. The episode explores resilience as both a personal strength and a misunderstood compliment. It emphasizes that resilience can involve advocacy, boundary-setting, and building support systems, and that small victories should be celebrated. It also highlights the mixed feelings individuals may have about being labeled resilient, addressing both the potential validation and the risk of minimizing their chronic struggles.