Struggling to Share the Reality of My Chronic Illness

i get so used to the pain that i forget how much it hurts, so when i tell people how much it hurts it feels like i’m lying. I totally get how you feel.

Honestly- not sure. I hate saying/telling them my pain because I feel like I’m just complaining or they think I’m being a baby. But at the same time it is just easier for me to tell them I’m doing okay because then I dont get everyone else’s opinions. I think it’s about finding 1-2 safe people where you can just be 100% honest and they know you aren’t exaggerating or being dramatic and they also aren’t going to try and solve the problem (my personal favorite 🙄)

If it's better for you to keep things private, you don't owe details to anyone.

I get this soooo much. I struggle with that boundary of how much I should tell other people about how I'm feeling, which usually leads me to saying nothing at all. I also often get worried other people will think that I'm faking it/I don't want them to get stressed out over me, but a good thing to remember is that you are not responsible for how other people react to you/your chronic illness. Openness and vulnerability will help you advocate for yourself, and regardless of how someone responds, their opinion is not a reflection of your reality. They can believe whatever they want.

Yes ✋ it's actually something my therapist brought to my attention recently. Try to think w h y you don't share. I didn't share cause I felt they wouldn't believe me anyways. With the help of my therapist we boiled that thought down to the real reason: I didn't feel safe. Now that I've recognized that it's much easier to talk about my pain. Praying for you 🙏 ❤ your pain is real. No one can tell you what's happening in your body except you.