Emily van Lidth de JeudeI'll be performing my long Covid piece at the Museum of Vancouver on March 15, so thought i should share my story.
https://emilyvanartist.noblogs.org/post/2026/03/05/on-shame-and-invisible-disability/
WearyBonnie@emilyvanartist
Thank you for sharing this 💚
Being able to learn from new information and correct mistakes is so much more important than being wrong about things sometimes - I hope you can let go of some of that shame. I feel proud to be in the chronic illness community with you 💚
Thank you for sharing this 💚
Being able to learn from new information and correct mistakes is so much more important than being wrong about things sometimes - I hope you can let go of some of that shame. I feel proud to be in the chronic illness community with you 💚
@3TomatoesShort Wow thank you Bonnie. I'm getting there. It's slow but I'm learning to appreciate my reality. And I SO much appreciate the many beautiful people I've met in this community. 🧡
Alison Creekside@emilyvanartist Hello, lovely Emily. I think it helps to remember that when people offer helpful prescriptive suggestions about vaxing or eating more yams or whatever, they don't know it's already the third time this week you've heard this, but more importantly, it's not really much about you at all.
Some self-protecting instinct has moved them to unconsciously calculate that their particular bias against or affinity for yams or vaxing will protect them from what happened to you.
We humans have a whole history of metaphorical theories blaming or shunning others for their illnesses, ie anger causes cancer and before that - not loving life enough causes TB.
But we're learning ....
Some self-protecting instinct has moved them to unconsciously calculate that their particular bias against or affinity for yams or vaxing will protect them from what happened to you.
We humans have a whole history of metaphorical theories blaming or shunning others for their illnesses, ie anger causes cancer and before that - not loving life enough causes TB.
But we're learning ....
@AlisonCreekside Thank you Alison. I had hoped to offer some sense of being seen to others with LC (this issue comes up a lot for most of us, including from doctors), but I am really wary of sounding resentful. I admit it's emotionally exhausting to frequently need to convince people that we've already tried certain things and don't want to do them again, but I do understand it's coming from a place of love and concern. I have the same compassionate problem-solving instincts, myself.🧡
@AlisonCreekside I adjusted the article and hope it sounds more forgiving of people who offer advice! 🙂
@emilyvanartist Oh dear. And I wasn’t criticizing your tone at all, was just trying to explain knee jerk reactions.
Bon speed to your performance!
Bon speed to your performance!
@AlisonCreekside no problem! I was glad for an opportunity to think about it! 😊