Personal Relationships

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The Pressure to “Perform Wellness”

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with the joint pain, dysautonomia flares, or GI symptoms. It has everything to do with how you’re expected to present those things to other people, specifically your healthy, able-bodied friends or coworkers or strangers on the street. If you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or […]

Things People Have Done That Made Me Feel More Comfortable as Someone with Chronic Illness

Chronic illness can be isolating in ways that are hard to articulate, even to the people who love you most. It’s not just the physical reality but also the guilt of canceling plans, the exhaustion of explaining yourself, and the fear that your illness is impacting your relationships. I have found great value in people […]