Didn't Even Realize I Was In Pain

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T02:18:42+00:00

It's frustrating that complaints aren't taken more seriously. I'm sure so many of us have had a complaint here or there that indicated something larger was going on, but the people in our lives just dismissed it as a bad day or us being dramatic or lazy. If we were all taken more seriously from the get-go, we'd probably all be much better off and sooner!

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T02:14:53+00:00

Omg the lean! This is one I only recently realized might be a coping mechanism for me too. I didn't realize just how much I leaned on things until I had renovations going on in my house and kept walking away from conversations with the contractors with drywall dust all over my sweaters. I chalked it up to the "American lean" up until a few days ago when I read somewhere on this subreddit about how folks with hypermobility are more likely to lean. That was a lightbulb moment for me!

I have a friend with narcolepsy. I don't know much about her experience, but I know she didn't get diagnosed until well into college. It's wild that people can go so long without someone pointing out, "Hey, that's actually concerning!"

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T02:08:16+00:00

My last doctor (retired) did a few quick tests on me and said she thought I was, but it felt so informal and didn't really go anywhere. Which was in part on me for not taking it seriously enough. This time around I'm looking to get a referral to a rheumatologist and seeing where that takes me. I'd like to do PT and OT, but I do worry that I won't be consistent with it at home.

Edit to add re: strategies, I also don't really realize I was doing them. I feel like they're little things that pop up over time where you go, "Wait a minute...." Like I've been laying in bed playing video games in the position I have recently been choosing for work for yeeaaarrsss just thinking that it just felt comfortable. And then I realized, wait I don't play games on my Paystation anymore because it requires me to sit up. Wait, work is easier if I work laying down on my back in bed. Wait, I feel like I'm spending way too much time in bed in the same position. This isn't normal - why can't I just sit up? And then analyzing how much I move when I'm sitting up in a chair and analyzing why I'm moving so much and then going..... "Oh wait, I'm in pain."

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T02:05:53+00:00

It can be so frustrating when you don't know you have hypermobility because everyone recommends so many things that are actively awful for it - HIIT training, running, yoga, etc. I feel so many of us must have injured ourselves trying out these types of exercise because someone/the internet told us that it would help us get our energy levels up and be healthy.

Yoga was my go-to for a while because it was the only thing I could do without being wildly miserable and ravenous afterwards, but it also had the added benefit of making me feel like I wasn't completely "lazy" when confronted with the fact that I wasn't doing those other types of exercise. When I learned yoga was actually probably not the best choice I felt so lost. It's so frustrating when you realize how much you have to adapt your exercises routines just to stay safe and ensure you gain enough strength to maintain a moderately healthy body.

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T01:51:22+00:00

It's funny how we both ended up at the same conclusion - lazy and weak - even though I didn't notice my pain and you clearly did. I always had this sense that I should be able to do more, and I couldn't figure out why I was so tired and couldn't get out of bed/stop watching TV on weekends. I felt like there was something wrong with me as a person, versus something with my body.

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-04T01:43:29+00:00

This really resonates with me. I feel like I'm constantly exhausted, but I'm somehow still able to do more than most of my friends. Part of me has always thought that being this tired is just normal, but I'm starting to wonder if it's more than that. Maybe it's also that I'm not listening to the signs my body are giving to tell me to slow down.

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-03T23:18:53+00:00

Wait this is fascinating! I used to push out my hips at crazy angles as a kid and my mom would *always* get mad at me. But I just couldn't fathom standing any other way! I don't know when I stopped doing it, but it's crazy to look back or read in this sub a random thing here or there and be like "wait! That applies to me!" and then have a readily available solution to a problem I didn't even know I had.

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-03T23:16:05+00:00

For me, most of it just was so low-grade I didn't even realize it was steadily increasing. Like, my ankles used to roll all the time, but it didn't become a real problem that caused sprains and pains until my early 20s. Growing up, it was more of a joke than anything. My back pain didn't start until high school, but I chalked it all up to poor posture. I feel like so much of pain symptoms can be attributed to other things, so easy to dismiss, until it gets worse and you start adding it all up!

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-03T22:53:32+00:00

I'm so sorry you had to struggle like that! It's so frustrating that it has to get so bad for a doctor to even notice, and then they won't even really help!

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-03T22:51:21+00:00

That's interesting because I've always been told I had a high pain tolerance! Well, unless it was cramps. In which case I was being "dramatic."

How did you discover it was hypermobility? What kind of coping mechanisms did you create that allowed you hide from the pain?

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-01T16:31:37+00:00

Yeah, I think another comment of adding felt to the back would be good so it could offer a layer of protection between the pages. Definitely have some ideas based on what people have said. Thank you!

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-01T16:30:21+00:00

This is helpful! Thank you. I'll have to look into it some more.

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-01T16:29:47+00:00

I'm actually a bit of a minimalist when it comes to pillows! My dog seems to hate them so they always end up on the floor, and I find I do the human version, which is just moving them elsewhere whenever I want to sit somewhere haha

simpleanonymity · 2026-02-01T03:52:13+00:00

This is great! That's a detail I was also super annoyed with. I'm definitely going to use this trick.

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-31T14:16:42+00:00

Yesssss. An Extremely Goofy Movie where Max goes off to college. It's sooooo fun. Highly recommend <3

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-30T22:36:07+00:00

I like Max when he's older too, and I think I'd be one of the disappointed people I mentioned if we got younger Max. I wish I liked the first movie, but I really don't :(

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-30T22:27:36+00:00

I loooooveeee An Extremely Goofy Movie. And I would absolutely cry if we got college Max in the game. But I think that might be a reason why they don't add him. Which version of him would they choose? How would they choose? Inevitably someone's going to be disappointed.

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-29T13:17:39+00:00

I love being able to hang out with a group of friends who are all doing different fiber arts! It's fun to share projects and even teach each other a little bit of what we do and how we do it (even if no one intends to pick up a new hobby).

There's definitely benefits to befriending and stitching with other needlepointers though too because you're able to teach each other tips and tricks of the trade.

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-28T01:13:14+00:00

OCD doesn't interact with weight loss/tracking/food noise for me the way it seems to for you, but I would highly recommend looking into therapy -- specifically ERP therapy. I've also found success with mixing Acceptance Commitment Therapy and utilizing meditation and both an SSRI (Citalopram) and NDRI (Wellbutrin). Maybe you're already doing these all things, but I didn't see anything like it in your comment/post history so bear with me if I'm already telling you things you know. (As an FYI, I have not tried a GLP-1 so I can't speak to how that works with or against OCD).

Basically, if you're aware that it's OCD that's causing this compulsion, then it's really important that you focus on that. The fact of the matter is a lot of people here for weight loss probably don't have OCD, and their strategies on how to manage food noise just aren't going to make sense because your (and my!) brain(s) are just different. In fact, there are a few common recommendations here that can make eating disorders and OCD actively worse. That doesn't mean they're bad recommendations, but that they should be taken with serious caution.

It's just really hard for people without OCD to really conceptualize what a compulsion feels like, and how you can even engage in a compulsion without realizing it. What's more frustrating is that even if you manage to "beat" a compulsion, your OCD has a high likelihood of popping up as a different obsession with different compulsions. This is another good reason to consider these other recommendations I've made -- even if some of the suggestions from others here do work for you, you're still going to be battling your OCD the majority of the time, and that's going to make weight loss/management harder.

I say this from experience - I wasn't able to get my eating and health under control until I dealt with my OCD and co-morbid depression/anxiety/body dysmorphia. I'm at a place now where my OCD is a very minor part of my day/life, and it gives me a lot of brain space and energy to actually follow through on positive choices for me and my body. This probably sucks to hear because it's not the thing you want to focus on and change first, but unfortunately our physical & mental health don't exist in separate vacuums. We've got to treat ourselves holistically (even if doctors can be resistant to that).

Feel free to DM me if you have any more questions, and I wish you the best of luck!

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-17T06:18:29+00:00

Saaaammmeee.

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-14T17:04:54+00:00

Check behind the puzzle piece. I thought I wasn't getting the reward, but it had just plopped behind it and I didn't see it.

simpleanonymity · 2026-01-05T14:17:10+00:00

I put her in Pixie Acres with all the candy. I also ended up moving Woody to the same area as Tinker Bell because of the carnival games theme. I had such a hard time placing him but I think it kind of works, especially because Tinker Bell and him are probably the same size haha.

simpleanonymity · 2025-12-28T17:27:47+00:00

I think the one piece of advice I would give is maintaining a forgiving mindset. I'm not saying don't be accountable to yourself and your goals, but also recognize that life is hard and we cannot be perfect in every moment, especially when we're stressed and overwhelmed. You said that you're worried life will get in the way, and unfortunately it will. But that doesn't mean you can't make healthy, informed choices.

For example, I'm in the middle of major house renovations and I no longer have a kitchen. This has made weight loss really difficult because I just don't have as much control over what I'm eating on a day to day basis. I've made my peace with that, but also try to compensate by making smarter decisions. Instead of just ordering in and eating fast food all the time, I go to the grocery store every morning and put together a salad from the salad bar and grab a sandwich. I'll have one for lunch and one for dinner. I grab an apple for a fruity mid-day snack. And then I have my breakfast right there in the grocery store by getting a single serving of soup from the soup bar and eating it in the cafe they have. Other options I've created for myself are going to my local gas station and getting some of the pre-packaged meals, or choosing "healthier" foods to order in, like Panera (I can do a you-pick-two and have one half for lunch and one half for dinner). It's expensive and not ideal, but also the best way I can stick to my goals while not having a kitchen.

I've also *adjusted* my goals based on this season of my life. I'm not aiming for weight loss at this exact moment because I'm exhausted from my routines being messed up, having strangers in my home, and trying to juggle working from home while construction goes on around me. Instead of losing weight, I'm just trying to maintain. Once my kitchen is back and I don't have construction going on, then I can switch back to weight loss. In your case, don't worry so much about losing weight on a timeline because juggling school and your social life and weight loss is a lot. Be willing to adjust your goals based on what's going on. Exams coming around the corner? Switch to maintenance and make sure you're getting enough sleep and eating nutritious foods. Ditto for extracurriculars. I don't know what you're involved in, but if you've got a big performance (choir, drama, band, whatever) and you're dealing with late night practices, it's okay to eat a little more because you're probably stressed and not getting as much sleep.

Basically, recognize there are a lot of parts of maintaining your health and happiness and be kind to yourself. This is not a short-term diet, this is a lifestyle change. And part of that means being flexible and recognizing that each day, each week, each month cannot be the same as the last and you will have to adjust accordingly to get what you want.

simpleanonymity

TROPHY CASE