Thoughts on Various Things

How to Live with Others When You Have Lupus, Fibromyalgia, etc.

I stole this from Quackwatch.com it’s a long, but informative read!

By: Deborah A. Barrett
One of the greatest challenges of chronic pain is finding ways to live with others. Sometimes it seems more comforting to stay home alone, where we can relax, tend to our aches, set our own pace, and control our total environment. This would free us from having to explain, apologize, look odd, or feel guilty about the things we have difficulty contending with. We would no longer impose our tortured bodies on anybody else.
This fantasy, however, has some major flaws! What does it mean to have a life? Usually, living involves a variety of work, social experiences, and travel that remove us from the cozy nest we try to construct and put us in contact with the outside world. What would it really mean to give this up? Without chronic illness, few of us would consider a hermit’s life even marginally appealing. Now, we are pressed to find ways to maintain relationships — precious relationships — without excessive discomfort.
From a handshake with a new colleague to a long trip to visit family, we constantly struggle to reduce physical stress without burdening others or calling undue attention to our illness. These issues are relevant for short interactions with acquaintances as well as daily dealings with those most intimate to us. Finding ways to express our special needs requires careful situation-specific negotiations. Read more »