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Signs You Grew Up With Chronic Pain

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The Mighty community shares “signs” of growing up with chronic pain they can now recognize as an adult.

Read the full version of 22 Signs You Grew Up With Chronic Pain.

Read the full transcript:

Signs You Grew Up With Chronic Pain

“I had terrible ‘growing pains.’ My mom would take me to doctors but they would just give me calcium pills. As I grew, more joints started hurting too.”

“I often had no appetite and was underweight.”

“Before I got my diagnosis, I thought it was normal for knees to dislocate when walking or jumping up and down… now I know that isn’t that normal!”

“My pain was exaggerated. A simple injury ended up being way worse.”

“My mom told me I would nonstop cry. And then I slowly stopped because I had grown accustomed to being in pain constantly.”

“Gym class was torture. The exercises and sports wiped me out within minutes.”

“For me it was never being able to sit without back support. Even in kindergarten I’d need to be sitting against the wall.”

“I had horrible periods that caused excruciating pain. Almost 10 years later I learned I have endometriosis.”

“Never being able to make friends because all your energy was going into trying to understand enough to pass tests.”

“Fatigue. Getting plenty of sleep at night but still barely able to wake up for school.”

Originally published: June 23, 2017
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