Thoughts & Things

Chronic Illness: Myth vs Reality

As someone who has chronic health problems, I definitely find that a lot of people have some misconceptions about what having a chronic illness can mean for a person. A lot of these misconceptions can be incredibly hurtful to those of us who have chronic illnesses, so I thought it might be best to break down some of the things I have heard people say, and share the reality behind those misconceptions.

Keep in mind, this is simply the perspective of one chronically ill person with a number of chronically ill friends; I don't speak for all sick people, and you should always let a person tell their own truth. This is the reason I chose to make a list that is myth vs reality rather than myth vs fact.

Myth: People with chronic illnesses are just lazy.
Reality: Many people with chronic illnesses want to continue living their lives the way they did when they were healthy, and it simply isn't an option for them. They aren't avoiding doing things because they don't want to do them, they avoid those things because they are not well enough to do them. Taking a break from a job, school, housework, normal activities, etc. is not about being lazy; some chronically ill people just don't have the option to carry on with normal activities the way they would prefer.

Myth: If a person is really chronically ill, they shouldn't be able to go out at all.
Reality: A person who is chronically ill wants to do fun things just as much as a healthy person does. Many chronically ill people will conserve their energy to go out for certain activities they desperately want to participate in, or they will be prepared to suffer the fallout after a busy day. There are also many people with chronic illnesses who have some days that are better than others, and a good day can be used for something fun.

Myth: People with chronic illnesses take too many medications.
Reality: If someone with a chronic illness is on a medication, or more than one medication, it has most often been prescribed by their doctor. This doctor most likely knows the most about that person's condition and their specific needs. Medication isn't a sign of weakness. Keeping it natural isn't always better, especially when medication can mean the difference between life and death, or it can effect the person's quality of life.

Myth: Chronically ill people don't have sex.
Reality: Most chronically ill people have just as much sex as healthy people. Being sick doesn't typically effect whether or not you are capable of having sex. Even when it does effect your ability to do sexual things, it typically isn't an all the time thing. A chronically ill person has just as much right to consensual sexual activity as a healthy person. Just because a person is having sex does not automatically mean they are healthy, just as much as a person not having sex does not automatically mean they are sick.

Myth: Chronic illness is always temporary.
Reality: Sometimes chronic illness is temporary. For many people, chronic illness can be a life long battle. There isn't always a cure, and while sometimes treatments can provide remission, many people will struggle the rest of their lives with their diagnosis. It is hard to cope knowing you may never get better, and that difficulty is exacerbated by people assuming that you're going to be well enough to be back to normal soon, or that they will offer meaningless wishes for a sick person to "get well soon."

Myth: Chronic illness won't fluctuate.
Reality: As much as chronic illness is often permanent or long lasting, it is often not a stable and consistent thing. Many people who are chronically ill find that their condition changes over the years, or that their condition might even fluctuate on a day to day basis. Just because a sick person was well enough to do a particular activity doesn't mean that they will always be able to do that activity. Just because a sick person was not well enough to do an activity doesn't mean they might never be able to do that activity.

(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Seventy-Six. Eight days of leave taken total.)