Recently an acquaintance of mine who has suffered for years from unexplained illness was finally diagnosed. It’s hard to explain to someone who has never suffered from an unexplained illness, but the diagnosis was actually a happy occasion and yet he chose to keep silent. He did not tell most of his other acquaintances or…Continue reading How to support someone with chronic illness
Category: Dear Healthy People
How I fake my Fibromyalgia symptoms (or not)
This is how I fake my fibromyalgia symptoms. Exhaustion and fatigue When I’m faking my favorite thing to do is to pretend that I’m exhausted. It can be somewhat taxing to always look like I’ve got an endless version of the flu, but if I apply myself I can really pull it off. When I…Continue reading How I fake my Fibromyalgia symptoms (or not)
10 things people with Fibromyalgia really want as gifts this year
What gifts do people with Fibromyalgia really want? The gift of people to realize that Fibromyalgia is not fake Fibromyalgia is a legitimate illness that has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, because Fibromyalgia mostly affects women, it has never been taken seriously. People should react to a Fibromyalgia diagnosis with support, not judgment…Continue reading 10 things people with Fibromyalgia really want as gifts this year
7 Harmful Myths About Chronic Pain
Myth #1– Taking pain medication makes you an addict Fact: There is a difference between physical dependence and addiction. Addiction involves compulsive cravings, inability to control use, and use despite potential harm and self destructive behavior. Physical dependence occurs when the body becomes used to the presence of a drug. Many substances – such as nicotine, sugar, and anti-depressants can cause…Continue reading 7 Harmful Myths About Chronic Pain
Why no one cares about chronic illness, part 3
Read my much angrier part 1 and part 2 for background context of this post. I’ve learned a lot about humanity through having a chronic illness. When you’re sick you really see the best and the worst of human beings. I have been on the receiving end of some wonderful service, and I have also been…Continue reading Why no one cares about chronic illness, part 3
You can’t just “try harder” when you live with chronic pain
People with chronic pain are constantly told that they need to try harder or put more effort into fixing their pain. For example, I found myself walking out of a meeting recently. It wasn’t a situation where anyone was trying to be insensitive or judgmental, and I wasn’t being criticized. Everyone speaking had the best…Continue reading You can’t just “try harder” when you live with chronic pain
5 things people with invisible illness need to hear
Living with an invisible illness means frequent accusations of faking, exaggerating, and laziness. So how can abled people help those with invisible illnesses feel validated? 1. What are you up to doing? People make a lot of assumptions about me. If they know about my illness they assume I’m useless, if they don’t know about…Continue reading 5 things people with invisible illness need to hear
5 “helpful” things that don’t really help people with chronic illness
1. Saying things like, “But you don’t look sick”! It’s really nice of you to say that I look good, but I have an invisible illness. You can’t see my pain, but believe me it is there. On a regular day I’m in more pain than most people could ever imagine, but I’m very good at…Continue reading 5 “helpful” things that don’t really help people with chronic illness
Positivity is not a cure for chronic illness
Dear Healthy People, I have a confession to make. Sometimes I resent you and all the things you have but don’t appreciate. You have your health and you don’t even realize how lucky you are. I know I’m supposed to “count my blessings” blah blah blah, but sometimes I just don’t want to. Sometimes I…Continue reading Positivity is not a cure for chronic illness
The uncomfortable truths about chronic illness
What’s it really like being sick? It’s lonely. There is a barrier between you and most healthy people. Healthy people want healthy friends. They want friends they can regularly rely on. They want friends who’s lives are not regulated by pain, medication, exhaustion, sleep patterns, and doctors appointments. Very few people can see past these…Continue reading The uncomfortable truths about chronic illness