In chronic illness there are two things you will learn very early on. First, your discomfort will make everyone around you uncomfortable, so you will naturally start hiding your symptoms, putting on a brave face, and acting normal. The second thing you will learn is that no matter how miserable your chronic illness is, there are people who think you are being over the top or faking it. And I am not trying to be dismissive.
One thing I find really helpful is vocalizing how I feel, even when I am hiding my symptoms. So, when I put on that brave face and act normal, I still tell my peers, friends, and family exactly how I feel. I complain about my symptoms 24/7 so that people around me can understand that that is my baseline feeling: constantly feeling bad, but still functioning for the most part.
There will come a time when your symptoms will be so bad that you will not be able to hide it. This is really different from your usual baseline. But shouldn't people naturally recognize that something is wrong with me? Yes, but a lot of times during these episodes, that's when people tend to think you're being over the top. If they're familiar with your baseline of always feeling bad, but still pushing through and functioning to the best of your ability, they'll take you more seriously when you're in an episode where you can't function.
I've learned over the years that people tend to think you're over the top and don't understand what it's like to be chronically ill, which means we have to push ourselves a little harder. So complain more, because, one, you deserve it, and two, it'll help you in the long run.
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