Thanks for that. I like the car analogy a lot.

It is true about knowledge frightening certain medical professionals. A physio once told me to "become my own expert, as no one knows more about your symptoms and treatment than you". Very wise words and I think this leads us to do our own research and i think this is where the problem lie as we become better informed than than the clinicians we see. Since we know about the injury and the potential treatments, it is easy for them to label us as fixated about the injury or accuse of inventing symptoms we have researched.

It is also true about the comments from the injured partner holding a lot of sway during an assessment. In an assessment session, the person whom was reviewing my symptoms was quite dismissive. Then he asked my wife "what do you think about your husbands problems ?" Completely without coaching she said "my husband, no he is someone different ?".

The change in the assessment was immediate at the guy actually started to listen. A simultaneous wave of relief and anger swept over me.