Humans Of Core Clapton: Fatima's Story
“Throughout my life, illnesses and conditions just kept coming my way… I always felt unable to live life the way I wanted to. I had a rough childhood which resulted in me having PTSD and various mental health issues later on. I was married very early and had three children. It is hard to bring up kids when all you feel, day-in and day-out, is pain. And it is even harder when no one can give an exact answer for the pain you’re feeling. I felt really depressed; it was difficult to get up and out of bed. I was taking a lot of medication but it just wouldn’t leave me. The pain and the depression drove me to a very dark place, a place in which I was totally stuck… to the point of asking myself, what is the point in living a life that has no joy in it?
But something, from deep within, stirred, like a new strength demanding to make this life worth living. It took time, it took will-power and the support of amazing people. After attending Core Clapton, starting College and doing mindfulness courses I have been able to identify who I am and feel hope that things get better. Right from my first session of osteopathy at Core Clapton, I felt at ease, having someone listen and answer my questions put some peace in my mind and, bit-by-bit, things started falling into place.
Treatment doesn’t work all at once, but I could feel my body being moved, stretched and massaged in the right directions, and after a couple of sessions, I began to feel a huge change. Knowing that I have somewhere that I can afford and that consistently takes care of me makes all the difference. In all other clinics, I was unable to afford treatment and would only go occasionally when I was in a lot of pain.
My osteopath encourages me to do things that I like and keep me active; I started cycling in the park and joined a cycling group which gave me the confidence to do longer rides and now I’m cycling 15 miles in a day. Recently I managed to cycle to the Olympic Park, the Wetlands and Regent’s park. It feels incredible. I no longer feel controlled by the pain.
Coming to Core, spending 30 minutes for myself and investing in better health, is the best thing that I have done for myself. I feel listened to, understood and treated like a human. The experience has made a big difference not just to me but to my whole family. My children get to enjoy their time with me because I am no longer so irritable, I want to raise them into healthy adults and be there for them, showing them that even with multiple health conditions you can still live a fulfilling life”.
