[humor] CFS Catch-22's 🥲

Here's a list of my favorite chronic illness catch-22's I've encountered over the years. Feel free to add your own in the comments

⭐️TALKING ABOUT ILLNESS⭐️ ➜If You’re Honest About Struggles and Educate Others: You’re negative and bring others down. You’re self-absorbed and always talking about your illness. ➜If You’re Positive and Don’t Share: How can you expect people to give you support, if you don’t let them know what’s on?

⭐️TRYING TREATMENTS⭐️ ➜If You Try New Treatments: You’re desperate and wasting time on unproven methods. ➜If You Don’t Try New Treatments: You’re not serious about wanting to get better.

⭐️ACCOMMODATIONS⭐️ ➜If You Ask for Accommodations: You’re demanding and emotionally exhausting. ➜If You Don’t Ask for Accommodations: If you want people to take your condition seriously, you have to ask for what you want.

⭐️HEALTH RECORDS⭐️ ➜If You Don’t Keep Detailed Records: You’re wasting your doctor’s time and not taking responsibility for your health. ➜If You Meticulously Track Symptoms: You’re obsessive and focusing too much on being sick.

⭐️YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD RECOVERY⭐️ ➜If You Accept Your Limitations: You’ve given up on getting better. ➜If You Focus on Recovery: You’re not living in the moment or making peace with your current life.

⭐️DOCTOR VISITS⭐️ ➜If You See Doctors Frequently: You’re a hypochondriac and wasting their time. ➜If You Don’t See Doctors Enough: You’re neglecting your health and not doing enough to get better.

⭐️ACTIVITIES⭐️ ➜If You Avoid Activities: You’re isolating yourself and not trying to engage with life. You’re letting your illness control your life. ➜If You Don’t Avoid Activities: You’re not taking your recovery seriously enough. OR You can’t be as sick as you are if since you’re doing X.

⭐️TALKING ABOUT DISABILITY⭐️ ➜If You Identify as Disabled: You’re giving up and letting your illness define you. ➜If You Don’t Identify as Disabled: If you don’t advocate for yourself, how can you expect to get the support you actually need?

⭐️LISTENING TO MY BODY⭐️ ➜If You Push Yourself: You need to be gentle and listen to your body. ➜If You Don't Push Yourself: Your life needs structure, and you can't just lie in bed. Sometimes you have to force yourself to do things.