What I learned is that if you are trying your best then that is usually good enough. The problem isn’t you per se, but the other people. I was trying so hard that I realized I was trying way harder than other people and not getting good results. I was always supportive of people, so I would go to volleyball games to cheer them on or stay after school to help. I was always available if somebody needed help with their homework, someone to talk to, or any help they needed. When I needed their help, I experienced a lot of ghosting, and not being invited was difficult.
Read morePOP! for Medical PTSD →
Many chronically ill patients feel as if they should be grateful for their providers at all times, even after medical errors. Anger can tell us when a situation is unfair. It can motivate us to make positive changes to improve the healthcare system. This can be accomplished by self-advocating in-clinic appointments, coping with a new diagnosis, getting honest with providers, or navigating relationships, all while dealing with medical trauma. I hope you can join us at our next discussion group or give us a follow on Instagram: @pop_medicalptsd!
Read moreThe Power of Reframing
I like order, structure, predictability, and while I can’t always have all of those things with my illness, there’s a certain amount that I do expect during the workday. But that day, suddenly, it was the opposite of all of those things, now I had a choice: sit here and complain about it or implement a technique I’d been learning in a professional development course. I already knew the first one wasn’t going to work, so I might as well try the second. What I didn’t expect was how amazingly effective it was going to be.
Read moreMy Onion Journey
Yet, while I was in college, I felt a whole new level of emotions. When I was a junior, I felt a mixture of sadness, then anger, and then resentment. I was worried about my next step in life. I was afraid to ask my mom to discuss my family planning future with my geneticist or endocrinologist. “What if I can’t have kids?” I’d often wonder.
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