7 things teenagers with a Chronic Illness don't want to hear

1. "You look so well!" or "You must be feeling better then!" We have to remember that this is usually intended as a compliment. Sometimes we will imagine a comment like this to mean 'I don't think you were really feeling that ill in the first place'. Just because we are out, smiling, laughing, or keeping busy, does not mean we feel good. It can be a little frustrating not showing on the outside how rubbish you feel on the inside.

2. "Oh my god you're eating McDonalds for the third time this week? Don't you worry about what you're putting into your body?" Or alternatively, "Oh my god you barely eat, you need a burger" Possibly well intended comments on eating and weight, unless coming from a parent or medical professional, will usually be dismissed. Regardless of whether the person is ill or not, a remark on someone's weight is unnecessary and can cause more harm than good. 

3. "Your symptoms are in your head.. it's all caused by stress, you just need to exercise more and see a therapist." Believe it or not, some doctors will actually say this to you. And there's nothing worse than constant pain not being believed.

4. "Oh! My great aunts nieces cousins sister had that, she went on a detox diet/threw out her microwave/moved to the countryside and she instantly went into remission!" Thankyou. But believe me, if there was an alternative therapy to brain surgeries, constant medication, and hospital appointments, we would do that. We have tried every 'cure', treatment and therapy available. Three times.

5. "Pleeeease please come to this concert/party/big social event, you can't just hide in your room forever." It's wonderful that you thought of me and want me to be involved, and I wish more than anything that I could go out and enjoy it with you. But it's hard enough for me to listen to my body and not overdo it as it is, I physically cannot go out, as much as I would love to be social. Trust me, I am the only one who knows how I am feeling.

6. "I could never take that many pills... relying on them is so bad for you. Don't you worry they'll change you? And you'll get addicted?" We need pain relief and medication in order to function. Daily pills keep us out of comas, prevent migraines, stop nausea, lower our heartrate and relieve pain along with a million other things. If we didn't take them all, we would see a serious and probably scary decline in our health.

7. "I wish I was able to lay in bed, watch TV and relax all day".  Life with a chronic illness isn't like one long sick day. It's okay when you have a bad cold and are off work for one day and spend it comfortably curled up watching movies or going out on some ferris bueller's day off type adventure. But the reality is, we often spend our days forcing ourselves to do things and attempting to function somewhat normally, even the minute task of showering is completely overwhelming sometimes. We find hobbies to fill the time, but we can't always enjoy them, simply because we're just so uncomfortable. See my day in the life post to see what an average day with chronic pain is like.

I want my blog to be an educational informative place, I am not 'getting at' anyone or trying to make others feel like they're walking on eggshells when talking to people with chronic pain. If we don't talk, people won't understand. 
To the chronically ill community, is there anything else people say to you that you wish they didnt?Let me know in the comments below.