Struggling with Chronic Pain at 18

im in the exact same situation. im also 18 and between chronic migraines depression anemia fibro etc. i just have always felt like my body is not going to last. it always feels like im going to fall apart. in person im a very short and just small person as well and people are always joking about how I look fragile and tiny and like I’d break. i know it’s good fun, i just laugh it off, but sometimes it leads to bad thoughts. i know im not physically able. i know im small and young and in so much pain. I don’t need to be reminded of how broken i already am

I’m 17. I’ve also always been in pain- I remember having to ask my mom or sister when I was 5 to massage my shoulders and back because it was painful. It’s gotten significantly worse as the years have gone by- pretty much everywhere hurts/burns. I have a father who is a doctor and a mother who is a nurse, but I still did not get officially diagnosed until I was 16. And none of my peers could relate to the extreme pain I was having on a daily basis. One thing to remember is that 15, 20 years ago, fibromyalgia wasn’t really a thing in medical books. My dad who had taken 16 years of medical school had no idea what fibromyalgia was, and he brushed it off when my doctor told me that I had it. IT IS FRUSTRATING!! What I’m getting at is most people will not understand, and it sucks. But seeking out others who also live with chronic pain and connecting on support groups can realllly help.

I understand being so young and no one believing your pain because of your age. I was was diagnosed with fibro at 14 because I was lucky enough to have a mother who saw the signs and a doctor that truly believed me, but the rest of the world isn't so kind. Fight for your disability. You sound like you really need some government assistance. Working like that will only make the pain worse as I'm sure you know.