Thanks, very helpful

Having multiple complex chronic illnesses is like running a small business except you don't get paid and you don't get a day off. Thanks for sharing this!

I think and say these things to myself. Is that bad? I thought it would help me to be grateful and count all the ways I am blessed.

I’m married to a personal trainer who nags me all the time and it’s upsetting. He can’t understand lack of exercise didn’t cause this nor will fix it!!!

At least you don't have cancer. Grr.......my sister said that to me last week, and I felt so shut down. 😢

Yes, I believe I've been emotionally dysregulated for years, as a result of C-PTSD, that actually began after the age of 18. I hate it! I feel like the crazy lady when I'm set off.

How do I find a chronic illness therapist? Do you take online clients?

Girl, I love every point you bring on here SO MUCH!!! I WANNA SEND THIS VIDEO TO ALL MY FRIENDS... Wait, all the friends I have left they have chronic disease as well, they don't need it... Or actually yes, they do, for their friends... If they still have any non chronicly I'll friends... Whatever. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for your video. I can relate very much ❤

I suffered from chronic illness. I went to my doctor and spoke about my suicidality , he responded by saying " do you know how many people I have saying that in a week ????" Well I just shut up and shut down . On and on it goes . I just don't talk about it any more. I just carry on as best I can .

I so relate to this. And my life changed in an instance. It’s going on 12 years.

Thank you for this. I have a rare benign tumour (paraganglioma) in my neck which causes a lot of issues due to cranial nerve pressure. It was treated with radiation because they didn't want to remove it due to risk of cranial nerve damage. But the radiation doesn't shrink it only stops it growing further. So I have to live with the symptoms and the fact that there isn't any other solution available. What's more during the radiation my symptoms got worse and have stayed that way. That was two years ago. I find it very hard to tolerate the symptoms, while accepting the treatment I had which could have actually made me feel worse. Staying present is very hard! But thank you for your videos they help me and help my family understand how difficult it is.

This rings so true for me. It is complicated and it is hard to grieve because you're trying to deal with your symptoms while trying to function and do the things you need to do. I have shared this with my family. I know I have their support but I'm not sure they fully understand the complexity of living with this.

Unfortunately in my mother in laws case she does nothing that her Drs tell her to do as far as following an anti inflammatory diet, PT after surgery she chooses not to participate, takes her opioids in the first 3 days so the next 4 days she has nothing for pain; it makes it hard to feel sorry for her with her auto immune diseases and also makes it hard to have empathy after 17 years of her not following any medical directives.

😂 Appropriate to this Video & The 1972 Song "Lean on Me" in background also fitting. 😊 kzbin.infoX4DsCRKadcg?si=k4rRc4n2cVHlct9z

Excellent Video & thank you Very well articulated. It's so Sad that humans lack proper empathy & compassion. We are now living in a time like no other with an explosion of chronic illnesses without a cure. Soon healthy ones will not be the norm. We have a hidden Chronic Lyme Epidemic soon to become a Pandemic, 22 million Americans with Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, explosion of autoimmune diseases. I CANT HELP MYSELF to go here BUT HERE GOES....RFK Jr has this chronic Illness on his radar to tackle. Sending you all love, strength and light. ❤

Thank you so much! I’m going to work on pacing and cultivating hope.❤

THANK YOU!! Oh my stars, I’ve heard all of this so many times. It took me 32 doctors to get to the root of the problem. My spinal canal is too small for my spinal cord. So, while I have herniated discs, and arthritis, and fibromyalgia, diabetes and bone spurs so thick in my next that 4 seconds on a pull and release traction bed put me into tears (I’ve passed only 26 kidney stones so pain is subjective ) people still give me break through advice! It’s absurd. I went for nerve ablation, 3 sessions and approximately 27 needle insertions (oh that’s right, I cannot stand needles) I got terrific results. Nope, in fact the numbing agent did not stop me from feeling those needles in my neck bone. So please, respect that those of us in constant, every minute of every day pain don’t need advice like “eat more mustard because it’s got turmeric in it” or “there is no doubt that acupuncture is the one time fix you need”. Be respectful that our whole lives have changed forever. For me it was giving up work. I had planned to work the rest of my life. I love classic cars. I have two that I cannot wrench on because I can’t stand, bend, flex, etc because my hand arms get and legs go numb and I’m know to pass out. And don’t be like my family who wants to hold me to the fun, silly guy I was when I DIDN’T HURT ALL HOURS DAY AND NIGHT, and there is nothing zero that doctors can do to help a 61 year old man replace or repair his entire spinal system. Cannot be done. Excellent video, btw. You touched a nerve!

Relationships always require some kind of participation, I never know if I can even have a short conversation by the late afternoon 😢

I think people don`t know what CHRONIC means ? it means FOREVER as long as your alive ,or they don`t believe it !

My body, my face.. I don't know if it's possible for me to get rid of the "Cushing's " appearance. I don't know if I can ever feel cute/attractive again. I'd like to not look pregnant....Noone understands proximal myopathy. At least Noone I know in person.. It's invisible and to tell about it just will sound like complaining

THIS! you just landed yourself a new client in Michigan if you're still in practice for telehealth counseling; all I've ever wanted is a therapist who actually knows how to help and not further hurt chronic pain/illness patients! You r the FIRST professional I have heard saying things that make sense and that I totally agree with and would feel safe talking to you. Most "counselors" DO say these extremely hurtful awful things and more that just drive me as far away from professional therapy as possible

A lifelong friend actually told me I take too many pills. I completely agree with your statement of needing the medications to stay alive. I have Sarcoidosis and it has damaged most of my organs.

I get " You're too young for this! " while sitting in a room of people 20 years older than I am.

Thank you for sharing this. ❤ I didn't have a name for it, but I've lived through it many times. I've been in and out of medical settings for about a 3rd of my life(possibly more). I've been an "experiment" and disbelieved several times too, to the point of being paranoid of even seek treatment. It's been better for me the past few years. b But, I wish I could avoid going to any facility or see healthcare professionals less frequently.

I refuse to believe that I will never recover.

Waoooo exactly all that I greiving.

This is me. This is my life. This made me tear up. I was born disabled and have suffered through chronic trauma. My disability is invisible and I don't show pain in the "normal" way(s). I was never really believed by people in or outside of the medical community. I've never had a real support system and am left to do most things on my own. It's so frustrating and sad. People don't really want to help, don't really want me to tell them how. They just throw platitudes and conventional wisdom at me. I'm doing as much as I can. I've lost so much. I've had to give up so much. I struggle with passive SI because of everything. I've accepted it's just part of my life and grieve for myself, by myself. There needs to be more channels like yours that talk about things like this and have more views.

Ageism and chronic illness is just as bad when you get older too. Everyone, I mean everyone assumes what's wrong with you is based on your age and don't care as much. Yet, its possible to be very healthy and active up into your 60's sometimes beyond. Also, "have you tried" and "you just need to" are so patronizing and ridiculous. I can't tell you how many times I've personally shut people down/up by telling them all the things I'm doing or trying to improve my health on my own. They literally have no comeback and get upset with me for wanting better for myself!! Honestly, most people who don't suffer don't want to do the work to help someone who is.

Exactly! They just need to go through tve same pain that I go through everyday. Some people are so self- centered that they can’t relate.

Ihave endured this for yrs. It is EXTREMELY frustrating unhelpful, and downright insulting. EVERYONE KNOWS MORE How to live w/ what I endure, than I do!!!!! I decide more and more to condense my circle of "friends". I have enough STRESS w/o that. Unfortunate, but when people are unteachable for yrs. , what is left to do???

Anger at people in my life who think things might not be as bad as you are describing…as if I think it’s so much fun to feel like a truck ran over me daily. As my husband once said to me..”the pain can’t be that bad…” and me screaming at the top of my lungs..”god I wish I was lying”. I had to force him to goto the Dr with me and sit in the room and actually listen to the specialist.

💯 A person breaks their arm, oh everyone sympathizes… have Chronic Intractable Pain.. they run for this hills 💔😭 Thanks for explaining & understanding. I’ve lost everything I loved to do, things I need to do. Ppl just can’t comprehend pain 24/7.

i think it's even harder because i dont have energy, so the little i have is wasted on loops of grief, making it almost impossible to take steps to restructure my life. idk maybe time will change a thing or two and i'll heal

How do we connect with you or grief counseling?

Hi AP! We met at the lofts a few years back; I have lupus and a coworker of mine just got diagnosed with LD. I shared this video with him. We spoke yesterday and he apologized for not having understood fatigue before... it is not the same as a sleepless night. I told him he will get through this, but it is difficult adjusting that first while. What is the best way I can support him without sounding like "been there?" I want to avoid that.

I believe my age and my weight are why I get dismissed as much as I do. I’m a 23 year old woman and I’m only overweight bc I’m so debilitated that I cannot do anything because the doctors won’t listen

The worse for me is the "if you wanted to you would" attitude, nothing stresses me out like having to constantly explain and argue with people over my capabilities, like you can just turn off your illness to suit their agenda. I think that's how I ended up with like one friend lol

Your channel is a gem. You are a gem. Thank you 🙏

Hi Doc, I just found your channel (thank God) and just want to thank you for your dedication to trauma and the topics you discuss. You rock and I cannot thank you enough. You are spot on. I have more to say but I'll leave it there for now! God bless you 🙏

You're so right but you missed when people say "you should volunteer more so that you don't think too much about your pain" and also "you are paying for sins in your past"

also, re: your discourse on acceptance: "nonresistance" is the word I use instead that helps me! its different for everyone.

this was incredibly validating. thank you. ❤

It is called Gaslighting from Doctors! Boy, have I had my fill of that. Medical field is going down hill.

My mom: Don't let your disability define you! Me:(thinking) Try having my disabilities for a week!

Just say, "How can I help you?".

You just get fed up with trying to explain why you just cannot go for a walk, or really do anything despite all the years of trying and always suffering after effects if you do try.

One of the worst is, what are we going to do with your mental problems? They have no idea of what brain fog we have to cope with!

Some people cope a lot better than others with the idea they will never be their old selves again. I’ve talked to paraplegics who have a great attitude and then there’s me with simple orthopedic issues who can’t cope at all with the idea I’ve only been running at 40% strength for about 4 years now. I don’t think I will never “accept” that I’ll never be better. My goal when I wake up every day is to feel a little better than I felt the day before. Every year it’s to feel a little better on an average day than an average day last year. To make slow, incremental progress toward recovery and maybe, with enough time and hard work, one day I’ll wake up and feel 75% like my old self again and it will all have been worth it because I can do at least some of my old activities again. I understand this isn’t possible for some people with intractable and degenerative illnesses, but it can help for people with more standard orthopedic problems as medicine makes progress year over year. And this is why I feel like something like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy may be better than CBT for some people like myself. My understanding of ACT is a daily inner conversation with yourself that says “okay, this sucks for right now, but through my determination it is not permanent, and while I may never be 100% of my old self again, I can get a lot closer than I am right now”

MOST ARE PURE EVIL, JUS ASK THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION