This is the first episode of our best-of Summer Series while the MSSN Team take a break and prepare for more episodes in 2025.

In this episode we take a short look back at Dr Caroline Howe's conversation with Dr Tania Gardner to discuss chronic pain management and the idea of joy in recovery.

We also have a short preview of another interview you may be interested in, our chat with MSSN member Alex and his journey with PTSD.

To listen to the longer versions of both episodes, you can access them here: https://mssn.com.au/my-social-support-network-for-injured-workers-by-injured-workers-podcast/

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Caring for somone isolated through injury or illness is a full time job - and this job, more often than not, falls to family members. A wife, a husband or partner, a child or sibling, these are the silent compassionate people who care, but it's not an easy road.

In this episode My Social Support Network founder Dr Caroline Howe speaks with the Mitchells and the Smiths, who despite having very different situations, find common experiences taking care of their partners, injured at work.

If you would like to take part in the MSSN Carer Programme, please email us at info@mssn.com.au, as we will be running a pilot programme in 2025 for carers and partners who would like to talk, laugh and find commonality with others in their situation.

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Stigma can play a large part in increasing the suffering of an injured or sick person. Often they feel like they are being judged, or letting the side down, and when they do return to work, will they be treated the same way.

In this episode Dr Caroline Howe speaks to Libi Stone - Occupational Rehabilitation Leader and Senior Rehabilitation Consultant - in a wide ranging conversation encompassing stigma, the role of anxiety, how the medical heirarchy and Case Managers help (and sometimes don't) in Workers Compensation, plus how to combat stigma, regain your confidence and see through to the other side.

They are joined by members of the My Social Support Network who share their experiences with stigma.

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This week's episode is a special presentation by Dr Caroline Howe, founder of My Social Support Network, on not only how to avoid burnout, but also an exploration of Trauma Informed Therapy. Recent studies with PTSD and trauma patients, show that both EMDR and Trauma Therapy, supported by other practises, show amazing recovery results.

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When you feel so many things have changed in your life and that you've lost everything, it's very hard to see outside your situation, see that you are more than your job, or your former ability.

In this episode, MSSN founder Dr Caroline Howe speaks to Warren Davies, The Unbreakable Farmer, about his journey about rebuilding his life from a point where he thought he had lost everything. The is a story of hope, of shifting perspectives and how to not only move forward, but to thrive!

For more on Warren Davies' story, his website www.theunbreakablefarmer.com.au has more on his story and the work he is doing to help fix communities and individuals.

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Burnout is the modern curse of the workplace. Most often seen in the most diligent of workers, burnout is a major impediment to a happy and balanced work life. Even more so, burnout is a huge concern for people returning to work after a workplace injury who are now facing the prospect of reinjury.

In this episode, Dr Caroline Howe is in conversation with Alicia Gibbs, who takes us through the effects burnout can have on your ability to return to work, plus how to avoid burnout in the first place.

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When people go through Worker's Compensation, or any insurance claim, they are assigned a Case Manager (sometimes called a Claims Manager). Together, the injured worker and the Case Manager are supposed to work through the process together to see a healthier worker return to the workforce.

So what's it like being a Case Manager, what are the pressures and how do they see working with injured workers?

In this episode, Dr Caroline Howe is in conversation with Alicia Gibbs, who has a long history as a Rehabilitation Expert and also a Case Manager, who also trains Case Managers. Her insights give us an understanding that we otherwise don't get access to.

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During times of injury or sickness, it is not unusual for people to turn to self-medication. The most common forms are food, alcohol and drugs - but this can be a slippery slope and end up in addiction, which as we all know can be very dangerous.

On this episode, MSSN Founder Dr Caroline Howe speaks with Zoe Cook, creator of the Pink Cloud app, which works to assist women to combat the use of alcohol addiction while also creating a community of supportive people available to help.

Pink Cloud: iOS and Android.
Zoe also mentioned a screening tool - Pink Cloud would be appropriate for those with a score of 8 or more: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

Also during the interview, Zoe mentioned an app that will assist people with opiod addiction issues called TaperMate.

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