Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis of visceral hypersensitivity, which is medical speak for “nerves in esophagus are too sensitive.”

The question of why is out of scope.

In this case, docs just don’t know why. (I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh). And finding out is not really in their wheelhouse.

I’ve made some life changes (new job) to see what happens here. But I also have to be prepared for the possibility that it doesn’t fix it. Been working through The Body Keeps The Score as well.

Looking forward to seeing what the author discusses here.

> In this case, docs just don’t know why. (I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh). And finding out is not really in their wheelhouse.

Chronic reflux as a symptom is almost always initially treated by PPIs because the cause among white collar workers is assumed to be chronic stress[1]. Since doctors can't "treat stress" only its symptoms, they will just tell you to try and manage stressors in your life yourself. Maybe suggest counseling but in general they are limited in what they can do. What they can do, if you are persistent in the complaint, is to just run through all the other less likely causes of it.

I was lucky omeprazole worked for me the first time. I knew exactly what was stressing me out 24/7 and the acid reflux and frequent belching combined with the "pit in my stomach" feeling was all too common and connected around my main stressor. In my case, it started 8 months after accepting a role shift from engineering into management. I was cautiously excited initially, but it just soured very quickly. I would feel physical angst parking at work every morning trying to remind myself of all the web of political infighting "what our team is hiding from this other team", "who we can discuss what with", "how that other team is actively undermining us and their other downstream partners, but how we are circumventing that" how to 4d chess maneuver yourself in the most counterproductive ways possible. It was illuminating on where a lot of those special "business requirements" come from sometimes, but it just wasn't for me. Cutting that out was a massive relief

[1]: Stress and glucocorticoids have well documented effects on the digestive system. I recommend the "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" book chapter on stress and the digestive system.

> it started 8 months after accepting a role shift from engineering into management. I was cautiously excited initially, but it just soured very quickly.

Thanks for the edit that added this. Very similar experience as this.

It's BS that IC ladders top out at quasi-management roles, but perhaps part of the issue is believing that professional growth is as tidy as a FAANG career ladder (since most companies just copy them wholesale), and that not reaching those rungs reflects on me in any way.

It feels a bit taboo to say, but I believe not everyone can flex into management easily, even part-time. I'm alright at it, but it clearly isn't long-term sustainable.