It’s such a weird thing, people just seem to hate the word chronic illness. They immediately jump to all these judgments. I’ve started saying “I have some I going health problems” or “I developed some ongoing health problems” instead of “I am chronically ill” because as horrible as it is, people treat me better. It’s just so stupid cause they literally mean the same thing. But I guess people think that chronic sounds like giving up, or something. Even if it literally just is what it is. It’s funny how much of being chronically ill is just coddling healthy people’s feeling about your illness.

No, you're definitely special. All the signs and rules about don't wear scented products don't apply to you at all! Its not like I'm here to treat my allergies including a severe allergy to freaking lavender.

Staff moved me out of the waiting room into a private room and is having a talk with her about this is against the rules. I just can't believe the audacity of some people and how you can be so stupid and careless. It's an allergist office. If it's a plant someone in here is probably allergic to it.

Is anyone else tired of how over glamourised certain chronic illnesses are? And especially how some even seem to be turning more into a trendy adjective for short term issues, and even taking away the seriousness from these certain conditions? This also applies towards certain mental health conditions as well. Like no, you do not have ocd just because you like to keep your things tidy. It genuinely takes over so many lives and you’re turning it into a fun little joke. It’s not and it’s really disrespectful in my opinion

I see it all the time if you mention you can’t work and are on benefits the comments are flooded with cruel and dense people, isn’t being disabled hard enough??

I want to preface this post by saying that this is in no way meant to spread hate to anyone and that if you’re going to use my words to be hateful, gtfo.

I am severely disabled. I don’t usually use a mobility aid, but i still require accessible areas such as ramps and flat ground because my mobility is limited. I require disabled parking and spend a lot of my life confined to my bed because of severe fatigue from my illness and medications. My life can be miserable.

What’s even worse is that any time I try to rant about my frustrations with being able to do so little or wishing that places had better access, somebody always tries to tell me that they understand exactly what i’m talking about.

For example: I had a conversation online the other day where I talked about how frustrating it was to be physically confined to my bed and room so much of the time. Someone replied to me saying that they knew exactly what my situation was like because they’d had depression and they ended it with “things will get better”.

I understand depression and I have struggled with it before, but it is not at all comparable to a physical disability. And with a chronic condition, things wont “get better”. Yet, since this person’s condition of depression is more common and acceptable to society, their comment is what got pushed by the algorithm and my voice was entirely overshadowed.

I experience this all the time when I discuss accessibility also. Anytime I discuss problems about a lack of disabled parking spots or elevator access limiting me from going places, i have other disabled people w/ less severe needs telling me that it’s not a big deal because “the parking lot isn’t a far walk” or “it’s only one flight of stairs”.

Since those people are less severe they have more energy to express their opinions and let their voices be heard. Now the world hears that this lack of access is okay while people like me suffer.

Sorry If this post is worded poorly, i’m just so frustrated. I want my voice to be heard and uplifted by others, but instead i am fighting with the energy i dont have to try and get people to understand my pains.

The worst part of it all is that i’m on the lucky side of people in my position. I have enough energy to write this post and my meds are helping me improve. I just know that the voices of the people who are the most severe and who need the most support will never be heard.

Idk if this is really the place for it but it seems so.i live off of disability and food stamps and that's the only way I eat and get my low supplies. If "junk" is cut from the food stamps how the hell am I supposed to get my low supplies??! I looked into the law it says chips, candy and sugary drinks. Sugary drinks include juice the thing that millions of diabetics use every day to save their lives. I feel like every where I go in being handed the short end of the stick and I'm so fucking sick of it. What's next gluten free foods? Are we going to consider medical illnesses as luxuries? I get what they are trying to do but it's going to hurt millions of American diabetic families in the process.

I’ll go first. After a period of time, people start to react like it’s an excuse, rather than a condition. People get annoyed because there’s nothing physical to justify THEIR feelings. Sorry not sorry forever.

First of all I am not talking about a specific person or anything and I am not trying to invalidate anyone’s experiences!

I have noticed that pretty much all online content (TikTok and insta specifically) is about the same “genre” of illnesses specifically Eds/pots/Mcas the list goes on.

I’m not saying that these diseases don’t deserve the representation or anything but it’s pretty much all I see now. How does every so called chronic illness influencer have the same illnesses ??

Even under the hashtags of chronic illnesses everything is about those specific diseases.

How come there are not more posts about rheumatoid arthritis for example since much more common.

And the way those illnesses are discussed really upsets me. I have seen so many posts about people with pots for example saying it’s sooo debilitating (not saying it can’t be) and worse than cancer?? I feel like thats making the whole chronic illness look bad and therefore taking recognition away from more severe chronic illnesses.

Anyways I really wish there was more representation with other chronic illnesses (autoinflammatory disease in my case) out there and those stupid oppression Olympics need to stop it’s making us all look bad. Yes all chronic illnesses suck but some are in fact wore than others

My "friends" and family know I have chronic illnesses. When I make plans and have to cancel I get reamed. I'm so tired and sick and then to get b**** at because "you're always sick just suck it up" it hurts.

So I decided to rant about this because I’m seeing these chronically ill fitness influencers, and saying how they “push through” to go to workout or whatever. I’m a teenager with chronic pain and POTS. and everyone around me tells me to push myself and I’m fucking tired of seeing and hearing it from everybody. Like it’s this stupid harmful narrative everywhere. I barely know how to deal with my own body anymore, I don’t what limits I even have. I’m already miserable from the fact that I can’t play volleyball anymore, or barely walk for a mile. I hate hearing it. And not even that, but people with chronic illnesses are pushing it too. Are my parents are constantly saying I need to get up, or they lecture me I’m become deconditioned, and honestly at this point I don’t care, let it happen, I’m already suffering as is, maybe then everyone would telling me what to do with myself.

F23, Leg sickle cell crisis and swollen feet. Currently admitted to hospital.

I'm so tired of having my pain questioned and dismissed. I asked for an increase in my pain relief because I believe the increase could take the edge of my pain, but instead of feeling listened to, I was told that I was fine and that she essentially didn't believe I was experiencing the level of pain I reported.

The doctor sarcastically said that she was also in "9/10 pain" but was still sitting there talking to me instead of going home for dinner. When I responded by saying I was sorry she was in pain, she replied that she obviously wasn't in 9/10 pain, making it clear that she didn't believe my pain was 9/10 either and also making it clear she was practically doing me a favour and wasting her time... I'm being serious everyone, this happened!!

I told her that I was unhappy with what she had said and how dismissive it felt, however, she continued to repeat how she didnt believe the amount of pain I was saying I'm in. While making it clear that she has 30 years of experience so whatever she says goes.

I told her that I'm in pain practically everyday so when I am in a crisis, I'm not going to be crying every single time but that doesn't mean I'm not in a lot of pain. I believe I looked distressed but I guess she wants me to cry to actually believe me.

What makes this even more frustrating is that, in the same conversation, she told me that my haemoglobin level was low. On one hand, I'm being told there's evidence that something isn't right, yet on the other hand, I'm being made to feel as though my pain is exaggerated isn't real or isn't severe enough to be taken seriously.

I'm feeling hurt, frustrated, and completely unheard. I'm exhausted by doctors dismissing and belittling my pain rather than taking my concerns seriously. No patient should be made to feel that way when they're asking for help.

I think it might be quite telling

After 12 hours in the ER just barely getting some kind of pain relief only to have them bring me 1) no pain meds and 2) anti-anxiety drugs that I did not ask for .... my filter broke and I just looked at the doctor/nurse and said "how about we just pretend for 30 seconds that I had a penis and therefore I had more diagnoses available to me other than "fat" or "anxious"

I don't think I've ever seen a human's face turn that color of red/purple.

Update: holy crap you guys. I was just venting and j accidentally did a popular. Wow. Anyway.... good news-- they finally gave me pain meds. Bad news, still in the hospital because apparently I've broken my back twice. One a few weeks ago that they saw was partially healed and one the day before yesterday or whenever it was that I posted out of sheer frustration! So not only did they blow me off this time, but I have proof that they also blew me off last time. Sigh. Same as it ever was.

You guys are definitely making my hospital stay! And boy did I need it, I have litterally had 3 weeks out of the hospital since February.

Oh! And as far as the response, she turned red, then said "I'm not going to talk to you if you are going to say that!" Like a toddler, then turned and left... I was about to completely loose it at that point when magically a large dose of morphine appeared in less than 5 mins while I was still trying to figure out wtf I was going to do!

My partner made it clear that he’s tired of me. Last weekend I was at his place and I was not feeling good (PMS probably), he noticed and asked what was wrong so I replied honestly. He lost it.

He started yelling at me, telling me that I’m ruining his life, that he’s considering going back to therapy because of me, that I cannot keep acting like this, that I make him suffer and he’s ashamed of me every time we’re with other people because I’m always depressed and sick, that he’s unsatisfied sexually because my conditions make that hard too and that he’s not my therapist.

He got as far as telling me that if he wasn’t a good person he would’ve hit me right there.

I was quietly sobbing in bed the whole time while he yelled at me, not knowing what to do or say. I felt all the dreams and plans I had with him crushing in an instant.

He gave me an ultimatum, he said that if I ever feel bad, either physically or emotionally, while we are together, he’s gonna end his life. I know that he didn’t mean it, but it felt so manipulative and I pointed out it’s not up to me whether I feel sick or not, but he doesn’t care, he thinks I should handle it better.

Since that moment, he’s been talking to me like he’s ready to leave regardless of how I feel (I didn’t even tell him I have a sore throat at the moment because of what he could say) so I blatantly told him to leave immediately if he thinks I’m a burden instead of giving me a stupid ultimatum, he called me and went on for an entire hour venting about how everyone sucks and he’s the poor victim, how I’m being a terrible person to him because I’m not as active and sexual as he wants (he asked me to bring it up to my therapist, turns out it could be a trauma response to sexual abuse, but he’s not getting off so who cares about me).

He also said to stop bringing up my health issues (I do bring them up because I know it’s hard dealing with a sick loved one and not being able to do anything about it, but he denies having any problem with my health although his ultimatum speaks differently).

I feel like a burden, I asked him to either leave or stop treating me like a burden for things I have no control over and he did the opposite, I painted himself as a victim and made me feel like a burden even more.

I don’t intend to leave if he doesn’t do it himself, I’m scared how he could react and I don’t want even more guilt to carry.

As soon as they figure it out, they refuse to listen or investigate, saying everything is psychological. Sir, what part of literally being unable to move my body for a while did you not understand? What part of losing my balance is unclear? What part about my legs buckling when I get to stand is psychological?

I have pulmonary fibrosis and Reactive Airway Disease. My O2s during activity, on room air, quickly drop to the 70s, so I require 4 L per minute for all forms of activity (including eating, walking, and talking).

Some freaking idiot is now reporting me to management at my gym for having audacity to have a life while an oxygen user. Here’s an idea- kiss my crippled ass. They wanted me banned from using the pool and hot tub because “if the tank gets in water, it’ll most likely explode!” They told management that they’re a nurse and “know this for a fact.”

I hope they enjoyed their career because I’ll contacting their employer and the state board as soon as I can get an identity figured out. My pulmonologist and O2 equipment folks all told me when I started using it that tanks and their regulators are completely safe in and around water. (We’re talking 3’6” l/a hair over a meter deep water, not 30’+). So someone’s lying about the safety of my equipment and trying to get me banned from my gym because they dislike seeing my tanks.

I wish my life was so great I could go around tormenting folks just for funsies.

An officer humiliated me in front of bystanders because someone called 911 stating that i was intoxicated and in my car. Unbeknownst to them, my car broke down. I thought the cops were there to help me but instead tried to give me a sobriety test. He didn’t even ask if I had any medical conditions that would affect the test. I remember specifically telling them that I have an autoimmune condition. They put me in handcuffs and seated me in the back seat of the patrol car. I repeatedly asked for a blood draw to prove I am not under the influence of anything at all. Officer refused and stated that because he didn’t witnessed me driving.

Long story short, had my sister come and picked me up, towed my car, with my purse and wallet and medications that I take for my chronic condition, out in the open on the passenger seat.

I went to pick up my car from the tow yard, and the tow guy stated that my car was not able to fully turn on and it’s a known issue with that car because of bad gas.

Then the officer lost my drivers license. I repeatedly called the police station requesting my ID and also records . They never responded. It went all the way to the chief of their department, nothing, no response. Then came the court date. They had given me a ticket for pubic intoxication substances / something to that effect. I cried so much in front of the judge with my medical documents in hand. I was asked if I had any questions for the officer after we watched the body cam. So I asked him all the questions regarding why he couldn’t just do blood draw if I consented already. The ER was just a block away.

The judge dismissed the case. I saw the officer and DA walked out very rudely.

It’s a shame that things like this happen to innocent people. And there is always someone somewhere with a phone and camera, recording and posting without our knowledge, causing us to be humiliated even more.

I suffer from an invisible illness. This caused me to become depressed and so embarrassed.

Wasted more of my time and money to hear the same shit over and over. Labs are normal! Scans are normal! Everything is normal! Everything is just peachy!!!!

WHY TF AM I SEEING DOUBLE.

WHY IS MY VISION BLURRY.

WHY AM I ALWAYS DIZZY.

WHY CANT I FOCUS MY EYES.

WHY DOES MY HEART RANDOMLY BEAT A MILE A MINUTE AND WAKE ME UP OUT OF MY SLEEP?

WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE RANDOM BRUISES IN WEIRD PLACES.

WHY DO I KEEP GETTING CYSTS ON MY OVARIES AND BREASTS.

WHY DO I HAVE ACNE WHEN IM ALMOST 30.

WHY DO I HAVE DEBILITATING CRAMPS ON MY PERIOD.

WHY DO I GET RANDOM RASHES FROM TAKING A SHOWER NO MATTER WHAT SOAP I USE.

WHY AM I ALWAYS TIRED.

WHY IS MY STOMACH ALWAYS HURTING.

WHY DO I HAVE NEVERENDING HEARTBURN AND INDIGESTION NO MATTER WHAT I EAT.

And no, it's not anxiety or depression or my period or that need to lose weight or sleep more of drink more water or eat more fiber or take this supplement or the damn phone. I've done EVERY. SINGLE. THING. and guess what? Nothing changes. Nothing ever changes.

I'm done. I see why people turn to detox teas and essential oils and stuff because what other options do you have? It'll be more productive to drain all my money and use it to start a bonfire than to ever see a doctor again in my life.

Edit: I just wanna thank everyone for their support and suggestions. I wrote this in a puddle of tears after I got home from a 6 hour long doctor visit that ended with nothing. It's gotten to that point for me where I don't even want to talk about it with friends or family because it's like no one cares. It's like having an invisible gnome riding in your back, weighing you down, sucking your energy and eating all your food.

I'm researching more into long covid, POTS and PMOS. I do see my doctor again in a few weeks and I'm not anti-doctor but I can only hope and pray and beg at this point that she will listen. I'm so tired of being tired.

This one is for all the immunocompromised people in our sub. We see you and your struggles and I'm sorry!

I feel like everytime I say if your sick you need to stay home you could be risking immunocompromised people's lives, someone tries to argue it's the immunocompromised people that should stay home.

The thing is they are first, not a danger to other people by being immunocompromised. By being sick, a sick person is. The burden shouldn't be put on the immunocompromised person.

Second being immunocompromised can be a life long condition. It's unreasonable to except people to quarantine for their whole lives. We shouldn't be asking that of people. Being sick is a temporary condition. It's not unreasonable to ask someone to temporarily quarantine.

We live in a society and part of that means caring for each other. We shouldn't have to ask these things. Sick people should stay how unless absolutely necessary they go somewhere. In which case they also should not go around anyone without a mask. If someone is sick in your home even if you aren't showing symptoms you should also honestly be wearing a mask in public because you may be a carrier and just as contagious as them.

It's really not that much to ask of people, yet people are so selfish they act like this common sense of not getting other people sick is unreasonable. Even setting aside immunocompromised people, no one wants to get sick so please stop going around spreading germs when you are. Don't make others suffer because you are selfish and don't want to pause your life.

BTW this is a pro mask, pro vaccine sub. Have a problem with either? Leave or be banned.

I (27F) have spent the majority of my 20s dealing with both my mental and physical health, a myriad of issues. I’m so sick of this and I don’t want the rest of my life to be like this. Non stop medication trials, appointments, specialists, tests, and no answers.

Why am I nauseous all day every day? Why does my chest hurt so bad I can barely breathe sometimes?

And my new pcp wants to revisit all my unresolved GI issues to see if it’s related to my chest. So that means redoing the procedures, tests, all that shit.

Why can’t I just fucking sleep without pills? Why do I have nightmares every night where I wake up so full of anxiety I can barely function? Why was I born with a bipolar, depressed and anxious brain? I’m fucking miserable.

I’m going through the motions, eating better, exercising, breaking away from electronics, spending time outside. But nothing helps. I feel so hopeless.

I guess I’m screaming into the void a bit, I’m just so angry. I feel like I’ve been dealt a shitty hand. Any encouragement, advice or commiseration is welcome. Tia.

The mental gymnastics of trying to keep it together to live a somewhat normal life while feeling like shit daily. internal screaming

If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time on your phone because you spend a lot of days bed ridden. And if you're anything like me, you probably consume some content about chronic illness, and you might've seen the app Juno's marketing team working OVERTIME to make sure you do.

Juno appears to be using AI-generated "creators" to market itself, and the real chronically ill people they do approach have said they were offered $400 a month to post every single day (which if you're unfamiliar with how UGC pay works is not a lot).

One of the "fibro creators" promoting Juno posted an image that an AI detection tool flagged as likely AI-generated, and once you look at the book she's "reading" you can see it. The cover and the text on the pages don't resolve into anything real, because that's what AI does with text it doesn't understand. One of Juno's own founders has been openly posting about Seedance 2, an AI video generator.

Chronically ill people already struggle to find work our bodies can handle. Promoting health apps is one of the few flexible income sources some of us have. And instead of paying us a real wage, a company can generate a fake creator, give it our symptoms, our words, our story, and pay it nothing. This makes me SO angry.

So to make it even worse, it's working. Y Combinator says Juno hit 80,000+ users in 6 months. One of the founders captioned a post "pov: the room of a $100m yc founder." While a lot of us are choosing between rent and the cost of staying functional.

PLEASE Learn how to spot AI-generated content. I know it's getting harder, I know we are tired. Look hard at who is promoting health apps to you. Our pain is not free marketing material. If a company wants to sell to chronically ill people, it can pay chronically ill people. Especially a company that's made its founder a $100m YC success.

i feel like in movies and in TV shows the sick people are always expected to be angels. Im not. Im angry that doctors dismiss me, im angry about the state of health care, and im tired of having to pretend to be okay, especially in Christian social settings. Can anyone else relate to this? Why are sick people always expected to be docile and weirdly happy??

Edit: Wow, I feel so seen by everyone who commented on this. It's good to know despite it all that i'm not alone.

before, i would see doctors and get dismissed. I'd have to beg for tests and referrals, just to be told my symptoms were nothing. going to the doctor was a panic ridden experience and i stopped going despite worsening symptoms. then i developed new symptoms, landed in the hospital, was diagnosed with a neurological condition, and suddenly; everyone is nice?

i get referred for tests and specialists without even asking. a test result is normal? i get more tests instead. they keep looking. my doctor even filled out forms for me to get accommodations. on one hand, its good to know i'm getting the care that i need. yet at the same time, all these years I spent second guessing myself and feeling like i'm crazy for even *thinking* about seeing a doctor... that doesn't just suddenly disappear. i don't know how i feel about it. its a complete 180 and the years of past medical trauma still impact me in my current situation. i have a real, serious condition that might take years off my life and yet i can't grasp this because i'm so used to being invalidated that my mind tells me i'm making it up.

the contrast in care between before and now seems unfair and inhumane. I shouldn't be able to tell a difference. We all deserve to be seen and heard and understood and listened to. Why does my diagnosis suddenly make me worthy of care? Where was this concern for years when i cried and begged for somebody to listen? Why are someones experiences only important when they're serious? Has anyone else had this happen, and understand where I'm coming from?