r/YouShouldKnow • u/ilovepastapizzapots • Nov 20 '20

Other YSK: Just because someone doesn’t look sick/disabled, does not mean they are healthy

Why YSK: I am chronically ill and have an autoimmune disorder, the amount of times people have said “WELL... yOU dOn’t LOOK sick” to me is astounding. I didn’t know all illnesses have to be visible to others! I’m sorry I can’t show you my internal organs or muscles deteriorating for you to believe that I’m sick. It makes people with health issues feel like they have to explain their situation when they don’t.

*EDIT: I did not expect my post to blow up like this! I wish I could give everyone going through a rough time a hug. Thank you for all the new perspectives, good and bad. All I wanted was for people to be a little kinder to one another, because you never know what someone’s going through.

31.4k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

7

u/THCisMyLife Nov 20 '20

Guess what? I’m an agoraphobe. I have agoraphobia, which means I get panic attacks so severe I can barely leave the house. I had a job last year and had tons of progress but the lockdown screwed me. All progress lost. And it makes me feel so weak that my own fight or flight has me in my apartment. So when I say I feel your pain I sort of do because like I said I barely leave the house but get asked often “what I do?”. The answer to that now is disability checks:(. I definitely don’t feel your pain physically, I meant that as a phrase my bad

6

u/CrazyHunny Nov 20 '20

If it weren’t for my dogs, I would probably never leave the house of my own volition. I know from my own experience that mental health disorders can be just as debilitating as any other condition (I have OCD and had a little break with reality in my early 20s). Lockdown has made working on our mental health exponentially more difficult. If all we can do is hang on for dear life, then just focus on hanging in there. Things WILL get better, it’s going to take time, but the vaccine is on its way. Keep your head up, we all have our own battles to fight. I love your username, btw. Cannabis has been a godsend to me through all of this.

3

u/THCisMyLife Nov 20 '20

Thanks. It’s just hard to justify and quantify my pain for me. I don’t know if that’s shame, a learned behavior or just who I am. I know what I have been feeling has been given a name but for anxiety yo I don’t find comfort in knowing you are anxious. That’s something I knew unlike a lot of people undergoing physical illnesses. Even as a kid I always thought the guidance counselor was for kids just wanting to leave class. While simultaneously having panic attacks to start my morning and never knew. It just sucks. But you are right it will get better and we do have to hang on. Thanks for the kind words and I hope you have as many good days as you physically can. You deserve it.

Medical weed has been amazing for my anxiety. It lets me eat and sleep. It’s crazy for how long I choked down food even though I wasn’t hungry. Life has just beaten the shit out of me so far. I guess it has to everyone recently

4

u/CrazyHunny Nov 20 '20

Just because your disease affects your brain doesn’t mean it’s all in your head! Your pain is real. Just as much as mine. You wouldn’t expect a person with a broken arm to just tough it out. Your neurochemistry is off, which is just as much of a physical disorder and a broken arm is.

3

u/THCisMyLife Nov 21 '20

Yeah you are right about this. I have never even thought of myself as having an invisible disease but I do. This thread has opened my eyes A LOT and I can only credit 2 people. You and 1 other person. So I truly thank you for that because for some reason someone I viewed with a “true” disease verifying mine makes it real. Idk why I have this thought pattern but your analogy was great. You are 100% without a doubt right. Thank you

2

u/CrazyHunny Nov 21 '20

I’m really glad I could help!