Video transcript

Brian

My wife saw an advert in the paper saying ‘Don’t hurt alone’ and this was being put on in Flint by Arthritis Care and the course was called Challenging Arthritis.

Lillian

The courses they ran certainly helped me to overcome the battle to be an independent person.

Brian

One of the best things about the courses by Arthritis Care is talking to a group of people who have all got arthritis and who know what you were going through. There’s so much empathy in the room you can feel it.

Lillian

I think anyone with any kind of disability; their first priority is to maintain their independence and through Arthritis Care and becoming a volunteer I’ve achieved that independence.

Mary

I’ve learnt very good self-management skills such as pacing myself, looking after myself and the fact that exercise can help. When I was first diagnosed I just thought I had to sit there and do nothing. Now I know that if I’m having a flare up, I know all the things to do. I can do relaxation, do some exercise.

Brian

I was just being controlled by whether it was a good day or a bad day or whatever. From that course I decided they were going to be good days from now on. I took a lot more control of my life.

Mary

It’s so much more powerful when somebody understands and knows what you’re going through and has done all the things your going through as well.

Brian

The courses that I have done since have been very rewarding. There is a self-help group, everybody is so supportive of everyone else in the room, and it’s quite amazing.

Mary

It’s the absolute best prescription for arthritis, it beats any drug on the market, and it really does.