I don't have any autoimmune diseases. I've had other significant problems for a while. I won't go into specifics since any comparison is ultimately pointless, but my point is that I know what it's like to feel like you're dealing with something that will never go away. It can be agonizing, and I wish there was more I could do to help, but I'll just say a few things.
Don't apologize. It's not a rant, and it's not even remotely close to childish behavior. What you just did is the smartest thing you can do - talking to people.Â
Your life, and your experiences, are yours alone. People can tell you how inspiring your story is, and even commend you for your efforts. And they mean it. And it's nice to hear. But truthfully, no one will ever know the effort you have to put into everything, and the lengths you go to to be able to live your life. No one but you. When you feel lost and hopeless, when it feels like you can't take another step forward, try to think of all the steps you were able to take already. Remind yourself of the worst moments and the courage it took to keep fighting after them. Draw strength from that. Because you can do it better than anyone else can.
But while that's all true, that doesn't mean you have to lock all of it inside, or that you have to do it all by yourself. Even if nothing anyone says can make your pain go away, sometimes even a simple conversation about nothing in particular can keep your mind off of it. More than that, talking to others is really the only way to understand that other people are often struggling with things that have never even seemed like a problem to you. That other people are suffering too, and dealing with it. Which leads to what might be the most important realization: that you're not alone. That goes for your post too, you're probably helping others more than you know, by the simple fact that you're sharing your problems. Thank you.
Don't apologize. It's not a rant, and it's not even remotely close to childish behavior. What you just did is the smartest thing you can do - talking to people.Â
Your life, and your experiences, are yours alone. People can tell you how inspiring your story is, and even commend you for your efforts. And they mean it. And it's nice to hear. But truthfully, no one will ever know the effort you have to put into everything, and the lengths you go to to be able to live your life. No one but you. When you feel lost and hopeless, when it feels like you can't take another step forward, try to think of all the steps you were able to take already. Remind yourself of the worst moments and the courage it took to keep fighting after them. Draw strength from that. Because you can do it better than anyone else can.
But while that's all true, that doesn't mean you have to lock all of it inside, or that you have to do it all by yourself. Even if nothing anyone says can make your pain go away, sometimes even a simple conversation about nothing in particular can keep your mind off of it. More than that, talking to others is really the only way to understand that other people are often struggling with things that have never even seemed like a problem to you. That other people are suffering too, and dealing with it. Which leads to what might be the most important realization: that you're not alone. That goes for your post too, you're probably helping others more than you know, by the simple fact that you're sharing your problems. Thank you.
