Chronic Fatigue

dedicated to all my fellow mighties who made it through another week even if (especially if) there were times you didn’t know how in the world you would. stronger together 💪🏼💖 #ChronicIllness #Disability #MentalHealth #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigue #Anxiety #Depression #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #ChronicPain

People see me resting and think I’m lazy.

They don’t see the invisible battle I fight just to get out of bed.

They don’t see how much it takes to smile, to function, to seem OK.

I’m not lazy. I’m surviving.

Have you ever been misunderstood like this? Share below. Let’s remind each other: rest is not weakness.#MentalHealth #ChronicFatigue #selfcare #CrohnsDisease

#Anxiety

One of my adult sons just sent me this and I burst out crying because I can relate so much to every line myself.

My son and I are a lot alike. We both need other people in our lives to help us feel loved, validated and to recharge our emotional batteries. It is clearly a big ask for the people in our lives. We are not difficult or overly demanding, but we definitely struggle to feel secure and have inner peace. We think we were born into the wrong family because they find our chronic illness needs burdensome.

Honestly, probably anyone with chronic health problems, mental or physical, feels like a burden to their loved ones sometimes. I am here today to remind you that it is not your fault that you have this neverending challenge that requires extra support from others. Hear me? IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.

Sharing this beautiful paragraph brought my son and I closer, so I am giving it to all of you to use too.

Peace and Love.

#apathy #Anxiety #MentalHealth #AlcoholDependence #AmphetamineDependence #Addiction #AlcoholAbuse #ADHD #Caregiving #AnorexiaNervosa #AspergersSyndrome #Agoraphobia #Autism #Fibromyalgia #PTSD #PTSDSupportAndRecovery #BackPain #CeliacDisease #ChronicFatigue #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #IrritableBowelSyndromeIBS

One of those moments I deeply regret saying yes to a family travel. We went to the Northeast of Brazil, with warm water. The landscape is amazing but the village is in soft sand. At returning home, I am now facing massive pain on my back and I am exhausted from walking on the sandy streets. My mother is overwhelmed with joy of having all the daughters together. Truth to be told, this kind of place is certainly not for me. Not worth traveling and then, feeling this much pain. I am not sure if I’ll have a fast recovery. Have you ever regretted accepting a family trip? #ChronicFatigue #exhaustion #Spoonie #acutepain #APS #SLE #SystemicLupus #Fibromyalgia

for all my fellow mighties who have been failed by the medical community who continue to use a one-size-fits-all approach. we will keep fighting together for wellness 😌💪🏼💖 #ChronicIllness #Undiagnosed #MentalHealth #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigue #Anxiety #Depression #Disability #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Insomnia

Hey, my loves!🥰 You may feel quite unwell on a regular basis and wish someone had a magic wand to just make it go away. I have ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, so I know first hand what it feels like to want to be untethered from the shackles of chronic illness. I don’t feel like having company, yet I still want to be around people sometimes. Yet, the isolation and loneliness can be suffocating, so I’ve asked myself how I can experience joy and happiness while living with a chronic illness.

The answer is very clear. I must seek out those things that bring me life, because they certainly won’t come knocking at my door! No one else is ultimately responsible for making me happy but me! And forget waiting to feel better before your begin engaging in fun activities. Really?!🫩

I write down activities in my planner at the beginning of each month and implement them as best I can! Here are some examples of things I’ve put on my schedule to add joy to my life:
🌻Plan monthly Sunday family potluck get-togethers. I make the schedule and send text reminders.
🌻Create an online book discussion group of close friends, with someone else as the leader.
🌻Plan a Netflix movie party, where everyone watches the same movie, together, from their home in their pjs!

If you notice, I only plan what I feel capable of doing, most of which are online. So even on a flare day, I could still likely participate in a Netflix Party.😋 I do not wait for other people to plan the “thing” all of the time. If there is something that I feel I need, like companionship, I go through the motions of meeting that need for myself, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for me. We experience enough of the rough stuff to last us for a lifetime, so let’s try to balance out life with some joy!🤗

What are some enjoyable ideas that you will place on your calendar? Remember to be honest with yourself and consider your health issue. We all have different capacities. Pop your ideas in the comment section below! Be well! Wendy😘 #ChronicFatigue #MentalHealth #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicEpsteinBarrVirus #Fibromyalgia #MultipleChemicalSensitivity

for all my fellow mighties who keep on trying and trying and… 🫨💖

#ChronicIllness #Disability #MentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #PTSD #ChronicFatigue #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis

after hearing this powerful quote today, i was left wondering how it could apply to chronic illness and the way we view our overall health because of it. what do you think?

#MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #Disability #ChronicFatigue #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #Depression #Anxiety

Hello, Mighties. I have booked a holiday with my mum (who is aware of my anxiety, chronic fatigue, ibs and other issues), leaving on Sunday. Initially I was looking forward to it as a chance to have a decent rest, but I have started worrying about the travel to get there (a train journey for 40 mins, a 3-hour flight and a coach for 40 minutes at the other end). I've woken up the past two days with thoughts of how I might have a panic attack on the plane, or have a bad stomach... and this has ended up with me having a bad stomach and feeling panicky already 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wondered if anyone has any advice on how to manage these thoughts and feelings? I think if I manage to get there it will be great and I can relax... but I'm feeling so nervous about the getting-there. It's cost a reasonable amount of money, and as we booked last -minute I don't think we can cancel or defer. Thanks in advance for any advice or tips at all. I've been doing some breathing exercises and meditation, but still feeling pretty horrible 😔 [Picture of a bee because I've started embroidery in an attempt to calm my mind , it does help but doesn't get rid of the anxiety altogether unfortunately!] #MentalHealth #Anxiety #IBS #ChronicFatigue