Arthritis

Hi, my name is Lillorig. I'm here because I've had RA since a young child. Now I'm showing signs and feeling OA in my back and neck.. I'm looking for relief from arthritis pain. It's all over feet, toes, ankles, knees, hips, tailbone,back, neck, jaws, shoulders, arms, wrists,elbows and fingers..Tried the gluten free diet and I couldn't tell any difference. I am all about herbs and make my own pain rubs and soaks. Seems like nothing helps during rainy seasons and when a hurricane pushes and changes barometric pressures it debilitates me. I find myself waking up laying with arms underneath me with shoulders also tucked under. I usually can deal with it because I'm used to it ... The older I get the heavier the fatigue gets. I also started experiencing edema in my legs ankles and feet as well as my hands and fingers. Anyway hello everyone I'm wondering what some of you do for pain that works for you....

#MightyTogether #AutismSpectrumDisorder

Hi, my name is levijw720. I'm here because

#MightyTogether #Depression #Migraine #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Anxiety #EatingDisorder #Arthritis #CysticFibrosis #HypermobilitySyndrome #chronicillness #addiction #savantability

In relationships, I’ve been told many times that I check off all the boxes (kind, compassionate, family-oriented, loyal, and so on). But the one box they never wanted in their life was chronic illness.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I feel like the world we live in needs to understand that literally anyone can develop a chronic illness at any point in their life.

For me, my chronic illnesses started showing up in childhood. So, in some ways, I’ve had a lot of time to learn how to cope, adapt, and figure out what life looks like for me and of course I’m still working on it.

But I don’t think people always understand that chronic illness isn’t something that only happens to certain people. Mental health conditions can appear at any point in someone’s life. Accidents happen. Injuries happen. Illnesses happen. Bodies change. Life changes. Someone can wake up one day and suddenly find themselves navigating a reality they never imagined for themselves.

Not all chronic illnesses are the same, but the emotions that come with receiving a diagnosis and knowing it’s lifelong can be surprisingly similar: grief, fear, anger, uncertainty, loneliness, and the feeling that you have somehow become a burden to the people around you.

But you are not a burden.

You and your chronic illness are not baggage.

Your chronic illness is a bouquet you get to carry every day. Sometimes we carry it gracefully. Sometimes our flowers are blooming. Sometimes they’re wilting, and we’re just trying to make it through the day.

And when they wilt, we don’t throw the bouquet away. We refresh the water. We tend to the flowers. We give ourselves the care we need and try again tomorrow.

Your chronic illness does not make you less worthy of love. It does not make you less deserving of a relationship, a career, friendships, adventures, or a beautiful life.

It is a part of your story, but it is not the entirety of who you are.

And maybe, with time, we can stop seeing chronic illness as baggage someone else has to carry and start seeing it for what it really is: a bouquet we’ve learned how to carry.

Sometimes with grace. Sometimes with both hands. Sometimes with a little help from a friend.

But we carry it.

#MentalHealth #Depression #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #Uveitis #Blindness #Glaucoma #ChronicPain #Anxiety #AnkylosingSpondylitis #Arthritis #HypothyroidismUnderactiveThyroidDisease #HashimotosThyroiditis