I see you and honor you. ❤️
One of the hardest bits of living with chronic illness, such as Lyme, is that no one knows just how sick you really are.
To others you look seemingly normal—yet you may be in the shadows of survival, pain, depression, anxiety, fear and anything else that feels like rearing its head that particular day. It’s incredibly isolating and anxiety-inducing.
I used to joke that you could tell whether or not I was in a flare based on how good I looked. I became the master at disguising how horrible I actually felt during flares. I would force myself to wear makeup, a cute outfit, be sociable. Anything to help me look and feel different than the shell I felt myself to be on the inside. And then likely crash even harder afterwards from the adrenal surge I forced myself through.
Check in on those around you with chronic illness, especially with the holiday festivities in full swing. Just because they look good and are showing up—doesn’t mean they are ok. Sometimes something as simple as washing their hair can take days to find the strength to do. And boxing the anxiety just enough to attend a social function can be just enough to tip someone over the edge. You truly have no idea what mountain they may have climbed to be there.
Just because they carry it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy. ❤️
- Burnout. Pause. Reset. Rebirth. - April 25, 2020
- A Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s Perspective on Treating PANDAS/PANS. - December 28, 2019
- Gentle Holiday Reminder. - December 22, 2019
