Episode 46: Finding A New Way Through Pain with Stefan Weiner

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, I’m joined by accomplished singer-songwriter and chronic pain survivor Stefan Alexander Weiner. Stefan lives with central sensitization syndrome, a confusing and painful condition that left him without answers and unable to perform for years. Since his diagnosis, Stefan has bravely journeyed through a multitude of doctor appointments, physical therapy, and pain rehabilitation programs to reconnect with his true love -- music.

His health challenges haven’t stopped him from seeing the silver lining, though. Through his chronic illness, Stefan was able to reframe his situation, start growing his relationship with himself, and be more compassionate. As he’s moved through the trauma that his chronic illness left in its wake, he’s integrated the condition into his identity and taken ownership of it.

During our insightful chat, Stefan shares how his illness has helped him be more present for the people in his life, as well as how he uses social interaction and performing to quiet the heavy questioning in his mind. He also shares how he started validating his own pain and reframed his illness to see the riches within.

“I'm getting to a point where I am super intentional and I don't think I'd be able to describe these complex ideas and emotions that I experienced before all this happened.”
— STEFAN WEiner

Highlights

Stefan’s health journey not only helped him be more compassionate with himself -- it also showed him that hitting rock bottom is sometimes the best thing that can happen. There were so many amazing takeaways from my discussion with Stefan and I cannot thank him enough for showing up to share his journey in such an open-hearted way. I admire his resilience and ability to push through all of the pain to continue creating the music that feeds his soul. Stefan’s powerful message of acceptance and growth resonated so much with me, and I hope that you enjoy our talk as much as I did. Some of my favorite moments with Stefan include:

Reframing your situation to stay grounded
Finding the opportunity in adversity
The difficulty of living with an invisible illness
How his queer identity is integrated into his journey
The struggles of intimacy with chronic illness
Building a relationship with yourself
Validating your own pain
Using the songwriting process to heal

LINKS

STEFAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: https://www.stefanalxndr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefanalxndr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefanalxndr/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stefanalxndr

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT

HOST

www.laurenselfridgetherapy.com
Lauren Selfridge, Licensed Marriage + Family Therapist

MUSIC EDITOR

www.lilymakessound.com
Lily Sloane, composer / audio producer / sound maker

transcript + SHOW NOTES WRITER

www.latashadoylewrites.com
Latasha Doyle, content + copy specialist

Podigy Podcast Editing

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This is Not What I Ordered is produced by Podigy, a premium podcast editing service. Visit podigy.co and mention This is Not What I Ordered for 50% off the first month of your subscription.