I’m Josh Hutson, the founder of Painfully Real. For years, I lived in the shadows of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) : a condition so severe it’s often called “the suicide disease.” Doctors told me there was no cure, no real relief, and little hope. The pain was constant, but the harder battle was the isolation, frustration, and the feeling that the world didn’t understand.

But pain changes people — and I chose to let it change me for the better.

How Painfully Real Began

What started as a book to tell my story has grown into a movement. Sharing my journey opened doors I never expected, from speaking to life coaching, to building communities where warriors living with chronic pain can find resilience, purpose, and support.

Painfully Real now exists to do four things:

• Raise Awareness – Bringing CRPS and chronic pain out of the shadows through storytelling, speaking, and advocacy.

• Build Community – Through the Painfully Real Skool program, veterans and civilians alike learn to overcome challenges and build resilience together.

• Provide Relief – A portion of proceeds from Wear the Movement merchandise goes directly into the Relief Fund, which helps cover medical costs insurance won’t.

• Create Safe Spaces – Launching weekend retreats and future retreat facilities where people can connect, heal, and grow.

The Podcast

The Painfully Real Podcast is where I share raw, unfiltered conversations, not just about pain, but about resilience, mindset, and hope. Guests include medical professionals, veterans, mental health experts, and everyday warriors overcoming extraordinary challenges.

It’s more than a podcast. It’s a movement of voices rising together.

Speaking, Coaching & Retreats

Today, I speak at events, conferences, and support groups across the country. I also coach warriors , both veterans and civilians, in building resilience, rewriting their pain story, and finding purpose again.

With the support of grants and partnerships, I am developing weekend coaching retreats and working toward a permanent retreat facility that will host veterans and civilians side by side.

Speaking & Coaching Topics Include:

• Thriving with Chronic Pain

• Mental Health and Resilience

• CRPS Awareness & Advocacy

• Building Communities That Heal

• From Suffering to Service: Using Your Story to Help Others

Why This Matters

Chronic pain isn’t just physical, it affects mental health, relationships, finances, and identity. My mission with Painfully Real is to show that life after diagnosis can still be filled with purpose, joy, and impact.

Join the Movement

Whether you:

• Listen to the podcast,

• Learn in the Skool community,

• Experience a coaching retreat,

• Shop our merchandise to support the Relief Fund, or

• Partner with us to expand our impact...

…you are part of something bigger.

Together, we can turn pain into purpose.