9 Things You Shouldn’t Say to Someone Living With a Chronic Illness

It’s no surprise that sometimes people say things they don’t want to–or mean to. Especially when they’re talking to someone with a disease like fibromyalgia, that is not fully understood by those who don’t live with it. Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness, and chronic illnesses affect around 133 million Americans.

To help you learn more about what you shouldn’t say to chronically ill people, we’ve put together this list of nine things you should never say (source: healthline.com):

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Sometimes people who live with chronic illnesses that have very few external signs are not believed. If people can’t see your disease, they often don’t think you have a disease–and that’s just not true. Fibromyalgia has several symptoms that can be most of the time invisible for those who don’t know them.

So no, it’s not just in your head and you’re not overreacting. Your chronic illness may be an invisible one, but it’s just as real as any other health condition.

 

4 comments

  1. Renee W says:

    I have been told I am not really sick, that I can change it if I want to. That I am not trying hard enough to. I have been told by now with all the doctors I have seen I should be better. I get the loose weight comment too, but I was normal weight when I started to get it. I am in treatment for Lyme disease by my primary doesn’t believe that I should be. I have to try something. I have arthritis too but everyone says I am too young to have it so they don’t believe me. I am so sick of all of it. No one gets it. I miss a lot of events because I don’t feel well. I don’t have a lot of friends here and I am kind of isolated. I just got divorced because of the illness and the things I can not do and that he doesn’t believe me when I say I am in pain or too tired. I have several illnesses. I have chronic pain from other issues. I wish people would understand and not judge people with fibromyalgia. I heard on tv the other night that people who have fibro and ADHD decide they have it and made it sound like its fake. My son has ADHD. I wish to find a cure or a better life. I want to eat better but going gluten free is hard. Well, I am going to learn Reiki and hope it helps. Please keep supporting us.

    • Tim Bossie says:

      Thank you for the heartfelt comment Renee. You are absolutely right… people simply do not understand if they do not have a chronic pain. One of the worst things to hear is “You are not trying hard enough.” I hope you are able to find some relief soon through different activities. Diet is a major component, but like you said… it can be difficult! 🙂

  2. Em says:

    I would not want anyone to understand the way myself and many here do have difficulties-all I truly want/ need is acceptance rather than using my illness as a reason to be excluded.
    O believe I have developed an attitude and just take things too personally-anyone else understand how this feels??

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