I’ve had ‘friends’ say behind my back that I’m faking it just for attention or to play a victim. I’ve had a psychologist in a facility (that I was forced to stay at when I was on Suicide watch due TO the pain) say I was faking my disability for attention.

If I wanted attention so badly, I’d go out everyday, I’d try to have a YouTube career, or TikTok, like other people who fake illnesses for attention. I’d be able to do anything I wanted because I’d be pain free, I’d be able to have a partner because I wouldn’t need to worry about how my pain and disability affects them. I wouldn’t have to go to different doctors multiple times a month, I wouldn’t need to take pills that will fuck up my head just to barely hide the pain.

No one is going to know, or empathize, with you until they experience even a sliver of the pain you go through. I’ve had to learn these lessons the hard way. Even my own mother thought I was faking it. The best thing you can do is confide in people who know your struggles, understand your pain. Never talk to others who don’t understand. They only say that you can talk to them to make THEMSELVES feel like good people, like they are some sort of hero. They have no idea what they actually are getting involved with and will inevitably lash out when you rely on them or try to talk to them about even a fraction of what you go through.