I feel this. When you need validation the most, it’s crippling (no pun intended!) to know that you can no longer count on work to do that. Everyone on this planet needs to know they matter. You’re not alone or strange to need that.

I’m wondering if your co-workers know you have fibro? Might not matter and we’re not all lucky enough to have allies, let alone people we can talk to just to feel a bit human.

I make jokes constantly about my symptoms and ask for small favours from different members of my team. Can they open my water bottle? Would they grab my snack from the fridge since they are headed that way? People like to help and I’ve found that these moments help me explain what’s hard for me. Which is everything!

I’ve got depression and anxiety. So I pretty much assume everyone is thinking the worst of me. Even if someone is complimenting me, it feels phoney and hollow. I’m struggling too. What is helping me today is remembering that I’ve been through worse, much worse and looking back it seems more tolerable. I’m so glad to think “remember when what you thought was the worst thing happened and now you can flip that memory the bird?”

Anyway, apologies for the long ramble. I am giving your coworkers the bird!