August 22, 2023

Confessions of a Chronically Ill Girly-ep19

22 minutes

Listen in for today’s answer from an Anonymous Instagram follower** “How do you handle the loneliness?”

Before we dive into the episode, I have some exciting news . . .

I officially have chronic illness merch!! So far, there are a little over 50 designs in my store. There’s everything from stickers to blankets to hats and more for raising awareness, being encouraged, and bringing the chronic illness community together.

Check it out here: Be Potsitive Merch

On to the show notes . . .

So, today’s episode is, again, a little deep. But I really want to cover some things that are heavy in this safe space. The confessions I share here are my own, but I’ve heard from many of my followers and friends that they feel the same way.

Here are my confessions:

I feel like I need to explain my health issues in a way that doesn’t make others feel uncomfortable.

I feel guilty if I do too much. And I feel guilty if I do too little.

I feel like I need to explain my good days so others don’t think I’ve been lying when they see me being able to have fun.

I constantly wonder if I’m getting on people’s nerves if I talk about my health issues. (I feel like everything comes back to my health issues.)

I wonder if I should just not ever say anything about my health and just not let people know how much I struggle. Or do I say the truth, and accidentally come off as a “pick me girl.”

I struggle even on my good days - always wondering when my next flare is coming. I constantly have to remind myself to be present in the good moments.

The future seems very scary and overwhelming sometimes.

It’s hard being young but not being able to keep up with my healthy friends.

I struggle with feeling like a burden.

I’m uncomfortable with the weird looks I get when I’m in public using a mobility aid or if I have to sit down when others are standing.

I don’t really have any specific takeaways from this episode. For those outside of the chronic illness community, I hope this helps you understand a little more about our struggles. And I hope my chronic illness friends feel more understood and less alone because that’s what this podcast is all about.

Shoutout of the day goes to my chronic illness merch! I’ve had so much fun creating the designs. My parents even came up with some of the ideas.

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

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By Sarah Reid

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