Dealing with Criticism of My Chronic Illness

I let people know in advance if I need to (like cookouts) and try to not take the people who treat me like a big inconvenience too personally. My family has learned to ask but only after years of me insisting that I'm not showing up to family gatherings just to end up in pain. Thankfully (?) most of my family has similar problems by now so I get less doubt and critique.

Hi 👋🏼 totally relate to making jokes at my own expense! But the people in my life seem to be understanding enough for the most part (and consequently make me choose the restaurant we go to 😂 ) but I try not to be picky and if I have to eat a salad and french fries because thats all I can eat well then I just tell people I love potatoes and Im happy and we move on. However! My mother thinks all my problems are psychological (they’re not) and obviously I can’t kick her out of my life, let alone my social eating life lol, but thankfully she also has a gluten and dairy intolerance so we can happily eat together mostly. I just deflect the comments that I don’t wish to harp on and change the subject. It is wildly frustrating when people do not understand or even TRY to understand what it’s like to eat something and feel so awful afterwards! Sometimes I do just get honest with people and say that I will be immobilized and in pain if I eat this bread, or whatever it is! And no one wants that for me so they get it and it usually does the trick. Honesty helps and also laughing at the honest truth (and our gassy selves!! Lol)

Not that we should have to do that… but it can be helpful