Thriving with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Finding Agency in the Dark

In this episode of Bouncing Back, host Melissa McCurley sits down with Meagan Harold, an integrative mental health and registered health coach who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at just 24.

Meagan opens up about the early symptoms, the long road to diagnosis, and the grief that can follow — not just once, but again and again through flare-ups and life changes. Together, Melissa and Meagan explore what it means to “live in two places at once”: acknowledging the hard reality of chronic illness while still holding onto light, hope, and small choices that restore a sense of agency.

They also dive into the mind–body connection, how stress and emotions can amplify pain, why all-or-nothing thinking makes flare-ups harder, and how Meagan’s “Five Foundations of Thriving” gives people a practical roadmap for managing daily life with more stability and self-trust.

🎧 Hosted by: Melissa McCurley

🎙 Guest: Meagan Harold

Meagan Harold is a certified Integrative Mental Health Coach (via the Nickerson Institute) and a Registered Health Coach with the Health Coach Alliance, dedicated to supporting individuals navigating life with chronic illness. Her own journey through anxiety, depression, OCD, and a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 24 has given her deep empathy and insight into the challenges of chronic pain, shifting identity, and the emotional burden of chronic health conditions.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why grief is a major (and ongoing) part of diagnosis

✔️ How to hold space for both pain and hope at the same time

✔️ What “agency” looks like when you’re at your lowest

✔️ How stress and emotions can intensify pain perception

✔️ Why all-or-nothing thinking makes flare-ups harder

✔️ How to build a flare-up toolkit that actually works

✔️ Meagan’s “Five Foundations of Thriving” framework

✔️ What support systems help most — including “incognito” spaces

✔️ Why coaching bridges the gap between advice and real life habits

📇 Connect with Meagan Harold

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577579484511

📷 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/tenaciousmeagan

🌐 Website → https://www.tenaciouswellnesscoach.com/

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