Bobbie's story: “I had to leave my job as there was no flexibility in my workplace”

Forced to give up work

Bobbie from Cheshire, England, was diagnosed with arthritis as a teenager. His diagnosis had an impact on him both physically and mentally and, due to lack of flexibility in his workplace, he eventually had to leave his job. He set up his own company in order to cope with the challenges his condition presented to him and now offers flexibility in the workplace to his employees.

"I was diagnosed with arthritis as a teenager. I wasn’t prepared for the impact it would have on my life, or the toll it takes daily. Your whole lifestyle changes when you get arthritis; you lose your identity a little bit."

A whole life shift

"Things you used to be able to do you can’t do anymore. I was really sporty, involved in everything and all of a sudden, I couldn’t do that anymore. Your whole personality, your whole life changes. And you’re left asking ‘who am I?’ For a long time, your disease defines you."

Everyone can live in pain for a while; that’s part of life. It’s a different thing to live in constant pain, that’s when it starts doing funny things to your mind."

Coping with invisible pain

"The impact it has on your body and your mental health, but people don’t see it because it’s joint pain. If you break your arm, you wear a cast and people know you’ll get better. But with arthritis there’s no signal to the outside world that the person is in pain; it’s all hidden and silent and it can eat away at you. I wasn’t ready to get better physically before I learned how to live with the condition mentally. There is a grieving process following diagnosis."

"I had to leave my job as there was no flexibility in my workplace to manage flare ups and fatigue. In the end, I started my own company and I now offer that flexibility to other people."

Emotional impact of diagnosis

"In my opinion, mental health support following a diagnosis is the best thing people can be offered. You can feel very alone and isolated in that period immediately after diagnosis, and you hear
a lot about things you’re not going to be able to do going forward. People need a chance to process what’s happening and start to look to the future in a more positive way."