'Its all in your head'
Going to be a little philosophical today, so bear with!
For anyone dealing with a 'hidden illness' it can feel like you're knocking your head against a brick wall sometimes trying to get people to understand what you're experiencing. Usually it's because it's not obvious or isn't shown physically, or even one of the more well known health issues such as the big C. This is where I've found the 'its all in your head' phrase popping out quite a lot. Now for me, I guess yes technically this statement is right, my physical symptoms are a manifestation of mental pain, but that doesn't mean the statement comforts me in any way. If anything it makes it feel like what I'm experiencing is somehow lesser than a physical issue and can be easily fixed if I wake up one day with a different mind set; It also has the impact of making me feel like I'm crazy.
With physical issues and more widely known illness there appears to be a more sympathetic understanding of what the person is experiencing, where as when it's something like Chronic Fatigue or mental health there's more of a 'get on with it' attitude, and I'm absolutely guilty of this with my own health. This is where I almost want to take the 'its all in your head' phrase and flip it, make it a phrase that we can use to strengthen our resolve. For example in my case, it's my emotional strength that kept me going through the traumas I've experienced, but also given me the motivation to get better. As such I'm taking that phrase and changing it to 'my strength is all in my head', so when my body feels weak, I know I have it in me to get through the hard times.
I hope this resonates with anyone who may have heard that phrase one too many times...
Ta ta for now!
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