Things not to say to people with a chronic illness,or illness/disability of any kind….
“You shouldn’t really be complaining, there are people far worse off than you”.
This is what I was told today by someone at work, when I responded to the question of how was my weekend. It was spent in a lot of pain. I had been moving some of my possessions from my old flat to my new one and I was EXHAUSTED.
I know that there are people worse than me, but that statement totally undermines the pain and general discomfort I feel. It basically says I have no right to complain. Finding the emotional strength to come to work is hard enough as it is, without having to pretend everything is fine.
Today I am slow. Today my hips do not move well. Today my foot is still very sore from surgery.
Be kind to everybody. Just because somebody looks well doesn’t mean they are. You never know what they are going through.
