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44 Memes That Nail What It's Like to Have Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects an estimated 10 million people in the United States, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association.

Symptoms are unpredictable and vary for everyone, but they generally include severe pain, fatigue, abnormal pain processing, sleep disorders, problems with cognitive functioning, migraines, anxiety and depression. While millions of people live with fibromyalgia, many misconceptions still surround the disorder.

The Mighty teamed up with Fibromyalgia Awareness and FibroToday.com and asked their community to share their favorite memes (some funny, some painfully honest) that represent what life with fibromyalgia is like.

1.

fibromyalgia meme: fibromyalgia won't kill us. it just follows us around attacking us like wild dogs

Amanda Wagner

2.

fibromyalgia meme: i'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

3.

fibromyalgia meme: invisible illnesses. learn about them. this is how i look. this is how i feel.

Robbye Olive

4.

pain lets you know you are still alive. man I feel so alive right now

Crystal Rollosson

5.

if you could see my invisible illness would you finally believe i'm in pain

Abi Older

6.

fibromyalgia meme: i don't always have the spoons to get anything done, but when i do i get everything done.

Cheryl Ledwidge

7.

fibromyalgia meme: ever had that feeling where you just want to jump right out of bed? me neither.

Pam Jewell

8.

fibromyalgia meme: and the award for acting normal when you have a crap load of pain goes to me!

Kalani J. Brickhouse

9.

fibromyalgia meme: brain fog day to do list

Andrea Mohr Delaney

10.

fibromyalgia, also known as 50 shades of fatigue

Holly Hoffmeister Toulouse

11.

god gives us only what we can handle. apparently god thinks i'm a bad ass.

Vivi Haugaard Betzer

12.

fibromyalgia meme: i was trying to get outta bed but i got tired.

Connie Quatkemeyer

13.

fibromyalgia meme: the worst feeling in the world is to be in so much pain and to have nobody know that you are even hurting.

Tiffany Carr

14.

I have fibromyalgia and if I hear one more person say 'but you don't look sick' I will not be held responsible for my actions

Donna Ingram Doyle

15.

fibromyalgia meme: don't hug me too tightly! my fibromyalgia is flaring up, my meds are wearing off and i'm feeling a tad psychotic.

Kalani J. Brickhouse

16.

fibro's a real pain in my everything

Connie Quatkemeyer

17.

fibromyalgia meme: i'm not lazy, i am on energy saving mode.

Elizabeth Cortes

18.

the faces of fibromyalgia

Jackie M. Williams

19.

tell me one more time my pain can't be that bad

Sherry Wilson Edwards

20.

fibromyalgia meme: i said i was awake, not functional

Leslie Jones

21.

fibromyalgia meme: pain that makes you want to walk away from your body.

Amy Coyne

22.

fibromyalgia meme: i lost my mind in the fibromyalgia fog bank off the coast of WTF happened to me island

KD Niles

23.

fibromyalgia meme: my mind says 'get up' my body says 'bite me'

Leslie Jones

24.

fibromyalgia meme: unless you have to rest in the shower, you have no idea what fatigue is

Chrystie Kilbourn-Terry

25.

here is a picture of the social life of someone with chronic pain. just fascinating, isn't it?

Kalani J. Brickhouse

26.

fibromyalgia meme: yeah i'm gonna get stuff done today. fibromyalgia: nope.

Kalani J. Brickhouse

27.

fibromyalgia meme: fybromyalgia definition

Anne Watercott Kotzenmacher

28.

fibromyalgia meme: oh what's that you say? i don't look sick? well.. you don't look stupid but...

Michelle Nath

29.

fibromyalgia meme: what my doctor thinks, what drug companies think i'm made of, how society sees me, how my boss sees me, wheat my friends think i've become, how i feel.

Robbye Olive

30.

fibromyalgia meme: i battle fibro, what's your superpower?

Ellen Fraser-Wilson

31.

fibromyalgia meme: keep calm and pretend your fibromyalgia magically disappeared... ha! didn't work did it?

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

32.

fibromyalgia meme: like having a hangover... only without the party.

Amy Coyne

33.

fibro problems: feeling like you need to strip off your t-shirt because it's putting too much pressure on your skin

Angie Harper Hall

34.

fibromyalgia meme: fibro tip: know your limits. recognize when your strength is fading and take a break before you hit the wall.

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

35.

fibromyalgia meme: warning! i'm a pain when i'm in pain.

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

36.

fibromyalgia meme: want to imagine what fibromyalgia is like? enjoy your symptoms.

Tammy Lynn Gowler

37.

unless you have chronic pain, I suggest you shut your mouth before thinking of commenting on any of my coping methods

Sandra R Branson Orsi

38.

fibromyalgia meme: F U, fibro... F U.

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

39.

fibromyalgia meme: when i'm feeling down and someone says 'suck it up' i get the urge to break their legs and say 'walk it off'

Michelle Nath

40.

fibromyalgia meme: i'm pretty tough. but some days my body just says NOPE.

Lynda Brumbeloe Jones

41.

fibromyalgia meme: i've decided to take exercising more seriously. today i moved to the left. tomorrow, i go right.

Sue Klobertanz

42.

fibromyalgia meme: this is bullshit.

Reagan Wig Ely

43.

fibromyalgia meme: please try to hide your surprise at my disease history and my age - I know i'm special, thanks for confirmation.

Kelly Miklethun-Shimp

44.

the cat in the hat on fibromyalgia

Amy Coyne

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Originally published: December 9, 2015
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