18 and chronically ill

Status
Not open for further replies.

JacktheVoid

New member
Joined
Aug 14, 2021
Messages
6
Reason
DX FIBRO
Hello everyone! My name is Jack and I'm 18 years old. In the past year I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and a handful of other health complications. I'm joining this forum because I would really like to be able to interact with and get advice from people who have a much better understanding of what I'm going through. Most of my friends and family are abled-bodied and do not really get how it feels to be chronically ill. Though I am thankful for their support- it just feels like we are living in two different realities. The feeling of isolation that comes from not having anyone to talk to and the sensation that my life is over despite being so young gets really hard to deal with sometimes. I used to be a very active person and took a lot of pride in my fitness and now it feels like I can't trust my own body anymore. I hope that this forum give me a place to connect with people like myself and at the very least, a place to find solid ground when things get too overwhelming.
Thank you all for listening! I wish everyone here the best.
 
Hi Jack,

Welcome to the forum, and so sorry to hear that you're dealing with fibro and more at such a young age. That truly sucks!

You will certainly find people here that understand what you're going through, that sense of isolation, and the feeling of grief that comes with chronic illness. How are you getting on with figuring out how to manage your conditions? While there may be no cure to fibromyalgia, there are certainly lots of different things we can do to make things a little easier.

I was always a fitness-focused person too. I totally get - and also went through - a period of feeling as if I couldn't trust my own body, but over time it is possible to regain a sense of control, and find a positive and (relatively!) balanced way of navigating the choppy waters of fibro. If you haven't checked it out already, I really recommend having a read of Sunkacola's pinned post at the top of the General Discussion section of the forum on this exact topic.

Feel free to check in here whenever you want to, ask questions, or have a good vent. We're a mixed rabble of people, all ages, genders, and locations around the world. Lots of empathy - and a little humour - goes a long way!
 
Hey Jemima!
Thank you for responding. Your words mean a lot to me.
I am doing okay with managing. There is still a lot I have to learn about what affects my body and what I need to change to make it better. It is still sorta mind-boggling just coming to terms with the idea that my life is now going to be very different that what I imagined it to be just a year ago. It is very reassuring to hear from someone who knows what I'm dealing with that things can get better.
I'll definitely go check out that post- thanks again! :]
 
Happy to - it helps me too! It sounds like you're coming at this in all the right ways, especially in already knowing that you need to actively seek out what effects you, and then how to navigate influencing that. Coming to terms with what it all means is probably one of the biggest - if not the biggest - hurdle, but one that is really worth getting to the other side of. Strangely, when life throws us really massive challenges, sometimes it also gives us the chance to find meaning and reward that we would never otherwise have tapped into. Fibro can be really tough at times, but we discover our strength, and at least we're all in it together 🙃
 
Hello everyone! My name is Jack and I'm 18 years old. In the past year I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and a handful of other health complications. I'm joining this forum because I would really like to be able to interact with and get advice from people who have a much better understanding of what I'm going through. Most of my friends and family are abled-bodied and do not really get how it feels to be chronically ill. Though I am thankful for their support- it just feels like we are living in two different realities. The feeling of isolation that comes from not having anyone to talk to and the sensation that my life is over despite being so young gets really hard to deal with sometimes. I used to be a very active person and took a lot of pride in my fitness and now it feels like I can't trust my own body anymore. I hope that this forum give me a place to connect with people like myself and at the very least, a place to find solid ground when things get too overwhelming.
Thank you all for listening! I wish everyone here the best.
Hi Jack, I am late is saying hello to you but I am glad you found us and hope that you find this forum useful to you.

The fact is that you are living in a different reality from those folks who have no physical issues. It's not just you thinking that....it's true. And unfortunately it's much harder for them to come to see things from your perspective than for you to know theirs, because they have not felt what you do. A forum community like this one can be very helpful in reminding yourself that you're not alone and there are things you can do to help yourself to feel better. I also used to be very very active. I couldn't even imagine sitting down from morning to bedtime, and I was physically very fit. I know how that feels. You have support here from people who understand.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top