Chronic Illness & Daily Life Struggles

“Hello warriors, I am recently diagnosed with a degenerative autoimmune disease after having numerous symptoms for the last 1.5 years. Recently put on a med(immunosuppressant). I still grieve and go through depression and anxiety daily but slowly started accepting my new reality. I had been blessed with good health for 40 years of my life thankfully. My husband still can't accept its permanency and believes i just need to see different doctors to 'cure' whatever i have. I understand h”

“I was diagnosed with POTS and fibro this year but there are still several things I'm trying to work up. My entire life, I have been chronically exhausted to the point I genuinely feel as if I may drop dead sometimes. It doesnt matter what schedule I work, how much sleep I get, or what I eat. Im always dog tired. I often cry because all I want is to feel refreshed and energized. I struggle to eat on a daily basis. Most days, as soon as food touches my tongue I start gagging. It doesnt matter”

“TW: depression Hi everyone!! I am 26F. Currently diagnosed with hEDS, spontaneous urticaria, epilepsy, aura/ complex migraines, TOS, Raynauds, and anemia. Waiting for endometriosis diagnostic surgery, and have suspected hyper POTS, nutcracker syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and possibly seronegative arthritis. My partner and I just went made a pretty big move to south Seattle, and I can’t lie. I’m not doing so good guys. I’ve been locked up in the house for months. My pain has been really inten”

“I am a woman in my 20s. Living with one roommate near family, no kids, no pets. I have Lyme Disease (currently in remission but with an active co-infection), CIRS, and maybe PMOS. I have been doing a round of antibiotics for a Lyme co-infection and have struggled more to stay on top of things than I expected. Struggle 1: Because of the requirements for the other meds and supplements that I am on, I need to be taking pill pills seven times a day, each time spaced out by about two hours. Obviously”

“Hello everyone! This is my first post in this subreddit so I hope that this doesn't break any rules. I'm currently in my freshman year of college, I have POTS, ME/CFS, and hEDS, along with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. For personal reasons, I am unable to get accommodations right now. What are your guys' tips to function and get to class? I also cannot get a wheelchair right now which is really affecting me. I need to get to class but I'm in so much pain &”

“Anyone who has had histamine related chronic illness… what are you doing for it?? My pmdd flares are so bad. I struggle to get through the day half of the month. I think it got significantly worse after having my daughter and my hormone levels shifted. I’ve been using lotus health to track my symptoms and they recommended a full hormone panel, but I’m just wondering what everyone else is doing to manage symptoms and if you’re on medication for all three of these ?? I started KPV and that seems t”

“Anybody going through this? I have multiple chronic illnesses that I struggle with. My husband of 23 years gets super annoyed when I have a flair. This isn’t new to him. I’ve been sick a long time (like before we got married). He did the same thing with his mother when she got sick. Anyone going through this too? How did you deal with it? Thanks for listening 😊 submitted by /u/justjen6259 [link] [comments]”

“I got sick with long COVID/immunodeficiency issues in March of 2025 and my husband left me for somebody else 1 year later. After almost 20 years together, he made the decision, but for some reason still acted like such a vindictive fucking asshole. He did everything hurtful that he could have possibly done, and even though I know he's not safe, the deepest part of my mind seems to desperately cling to the memory I believed was real for so long. I honestly thought we would grow old together,”

“I'm 19F, never really had an interest in dating before but i've definitely been wanting to try. I feel like theres two things that stop me. A) I'm shy B) I wouldn't know how to navigate a relationship while being chronically ill. My question is, how do you guys approach it? Do you tell somebody on a first date that you're chronically ill? Or do you tell them months into the relationship? Additionally, is it hard finding somebody that is willing to accept you for your chronic”

“(TW:NEEDLES AND TALK OF BLOOD) Today was a scary time with my chronic illnesses. I (27f) have HEDS, Fibromyalgia, possible FND and possible POTS. And today, I went in for a gastro appointment. They needed some bloodwork and I was perfectly fine getting that for them. I went to the lab, where they took three vials... and everything was normal. Until the needle came out. And that.... broke me. I'm not fully sure what happened because I blacked out but my partner said I was screaming and panick”

“I've (37F) been with my husband (40M) for about 13 years and married for 5. To give some background: I grew up in an unhealthy home environment. My parents did the best they felt they could, but there was a lot of medical neglect, and I didn't start seeing a doctor regularly until I was 28 (I didn't even have a regular pediatrician growing up) when my inconsistent health issues started becoming more consistent and interfering with my daily life. I'm still struggling to get a defi”

“I’ve been dating my boyfriend for about a year. He is chronically ill and was up front about everything on our first date so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. His health has fluctuated throughout our relationship and I’ve been there for him through it all and learned how to take care of him better along the way. I love him very much and I’m overall happy to take on a caretaker role. He makes me feel really appreciated too for everything I do for him. I wouldn’t consider myself som”

“I’ve been dealing with chronic pain in my back for years. Never have I ever met anyone who goes through chronic pain like I do or even takes care of someone with chronic pain. Until recently.. I have a parasocial friend on insta whose husband goes through severe chronic pain to where he can’t even walk some days. I reached out to her and shared my chronic pain journey because at this point I’m so desperate to have friends that actually get me and are understanding when I have to “flake” on frien”

“I am a 26yo man, i am sick since the age of 3. I have heart rythm disorder, chronic tics, ocd, adh. Mixed anxiety depression since the age 14, had a heart failure at 18, my therapist also suspects PTSD. This 26 looks like a lifetime, and it was worthless and pure shit, i shoud die at the age of 3, or at least from that heart faiuler at 18. I just don't see the the point to reach old age, or even live for general. Life with chronic illness is nothing but missed social/developmental lifestones”

“Hello, My partner has chronic pain and a lot of mobility issues due to an injury. Recently he’s been having a hard time coming to me for help with his pain because the massages just aren’t cutting it. Are there any topicals, tools or distraction methods that work for you? He’s constantly in pain and I just want to find something that works for his pain. Half of the time his pain meds don’t work or barely touch his pain at all. I’ve never seen him below a level 4 and that’s AFTER his meds, usuall”

“Hi everyone, I’m just looking for some advice or maybe some words of wisdom because I’m feeling really overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do. My boyfriend was recently diagnosed with POTS and since his health has gotten worse, I’ve basically taken on the role of caring for him. He does try to do things like cook, clean, shower and work, but even standing for short periods can make his heart rate go really high and make him feel like he’s going to faint. He hasn’t been able to go to work for th”

“Hi everyone! I am looking for help with finding resources for my fiancé. She doesn’t use reddit so I’m posting on her behalf. She deals with chronic illness and we live in a northern community that doesn’t have a counsellor who has experience in this area. I’m wondering if anyone has some online resources that she might be able to use. I think virtual counselling would be optimal and, in case it makes a difference, we are in Canada. Thank you in advance for any help :) submitted by /”

“I have long Covid and a whole host of diagnosis since that mean my life’s quite small and I’m in pain daily, over 5 years I managed to get to the point of working from home for 20hrs a week and having a semi normal life (sure I need alot of darkness quiet and can’t go on walks without it wiping me out, but he knew that and accepted that) Recently work has been too much and my pains too high and it reached breaking point 3 days ago where I broke down to him I don’t want to be here, my life has no”

“I’m hoping you can either validate me or bring me back to reality… Did your close friends/family research your chronic illness? Am I expecting too much? I’m so fed up with explaining the same symptoms and experiences over and over again. Them “forgetting” I’m ill or being upset when I cannot show up as before. I’m not very close with a lot of people, and I was secretly hoping those few would support me by researching my illnesses and try to grasp what I’m going through… because I support them wi”

“I have a serious chronic illness myself so I'm very understanding towards my child who has a mild but very annoying chronic condition. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm too understanding and my child will grow up to be weak. My parents gaslit me my entire life but I don't want to be the complete opposite either. For example, I'm having a hard time telling my kid to clean their room or fold laundry when 10 minutes before the CI prevented them from having a certain food or they needed t”

“I am in the process of getting diagnosed with pcos, however they are also trying to rule out cushing's syndrome. I have severe medical anxiety and this entire process has really taken a toll on me. I'm only 18 so I just feel like i'm so young for all this to be happening. I look around and get really jealous of all the healthy looking teens around me. My illnesses are all I think about. It's like my worst fears came true. How do you not let this be on your mind 24/7 and just live”

“Hey guys, i have mecfs and have been chronically ill for several years, but it has been getting a lot worse in the past months. I am still able to do things like go to appointments or sometimes meet a friend. But my life has been compromised a lot. Everything i do is exhausting and everything hurts physically. Every little task has gotten so much harder and i have to fight everyday to even get the motivation to get up. Doctors can’t help me and i go to Therapy and take Antidepressants. But even”

“Hi! So I (17F) have suffered with extreme eczema my entire life. I’ve gone through medication after medication, steroid cream after steroid cream and nothing has given me long term relief (about two weeks at a time) Only recently (about two years) have I met a dermatologist who was genuinely the most helpful and supportive doctor i have ever been with. However he moved practices and it took my mom and I a while to find him again. We did and I had an appointment earlier this day and he said that”

“So I’ve had chronic illnesses for most of my life (diagnosed with the first one at 7 and it’s kinda gone downhill since then). I’m usually pretty high functioning (I’ve got a (part time) job, am pretty active in a competitive sport, and I’m usually down to do most activities with family and friends when asked) but lately I’ve been struggling quite a bit. I’ve had to visit the emergency room twice in the last 2 weeks, have had limited energy/mobility, haven’t competed or even practiced my chosen”

“So my overall goal with this post, if you have struggled similarly to me, have you found help? What kind of doctors would you recommend? What kind of route should I go down with my doctors. A run down of the past few years of my health So ever since I was born i have always had chronically low blood pressure, I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and scoliosis so chronic pain and being injured easily is not new to me, when I was about 12 I got covid and I started to get very sick all the time but for ve”

“32F, finally diagnosed this year with hEDS after more than a decade of chronic fatigue, pain, and worsening comorbidities. The latest blow has been my (highly suspected but not officially diagnosed) POTS getting so bad this past year that I’ve had to stop driving, get a shower chair etc. and heavily rely on my family for financial support. The diagnosis made my whole life make sense. But now I look at my life, full of failures due to fatigue that was misdiagnosed as depression, dysautonomia misd”

“Hey everyone, I’ve been having a bit of a tough time with my entire family understanding how unwell i actually am. My mom has chronic health conditions as well hEDS, the rest of my family is able bodied. 3-5 years ago I was attending university/ school in person, working a few days a week and a go getter with big career dreams (I wanted to be a medical specialist). I was slowly going downhill till I crashed 2 years ago and my health has progressively gotten worse since. I’ve been attending onlin”

“hello again! a little while back i made a post about my frustration that im still unable to get a diagnosis due to having nearly completely normal labs. two doctors believe its an autoimmune disorder. i saw a third today at langone, a rheumatologist, and i had really high hopes. she said i 100% do not have an autoimmune disorder. none of the positive results are significant enough to indicate it. she also said the medication i was given has probably been hurting instead of helping. she’s going t”

“hi everyone, not me, but a loved one of mine struggles with chronic illness (bronchiolitis obliterans, severe anxiety, depression, chronic migraines, osteoporosis, paroxysmal SVT, etc) and as a lot of you may relate to, they take a couple handfuls of pills every day which unfortunately decrease their appetite. several discussions have occurred with pcp and specialists about diet and an appetite stimulating medication is already being taken (little effect). we have met with specialist after speci”

“Hi! I’m dealing with a chronic illness coupled with ADHD and an all-consuming job. My husband is super helpful, but I’ve noticed that I feel like my house is suffocating me. I am so disorganized and if it’s not perfect, I feel overwhelmed. I should note: I have someone who comes once a week. She’s great but she also puts everything/anything in my (walk-in but cluttered) closet which makes me insane. Any tips or suggested check lists? I am new to this chronic illness thing and I’m not pacing myse”

“I love cooking but it’s becoming so hard for me. I have limited function of my hands (I can’t grip things that easily, I’m weak and prone to hurting my wrists and elbows while using my hands). I’ve honestly just been cooking as normal but it took me 2 hours to make mac and cheese last night. I have to take a break after every step because it’s so exhausting. The main thing I’m struggling with right now is chopping hard veggies, grating cheese, standing while cooking, and vigorously stirring. I t”

“Last night my husband made it very clear to me that he resents me for being sick. It started with him randomly bringing up our sex life. It was never the same since we got married (we moved 8 hours away from home, had some issues including him being unfaithful, and I’ve been getting sicker and sicker for the past year). Right now the biggest thing holding me back is my pain. Every position hurts and I don’t feel in the mood when I’m in a flare up. So I’ve been having a flare up for the past week”

“My husband has never struggled with mental health and has a hard time empathizing with people who do. I have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder and more recently adhd-inattentive. I’m working on getting treatment but where I am in the world it can be hard to find care. He tends to get frustrated when I don’t want to do anything when I don’t want to talk or have sex or even get out of bed. I don’t know how to explain to him that I’m not choosing to do these th”

“Hello my name is Teresa and I suffer from a few chronic illnesses. I have anemia it is chronic at this point. They still do not know what the cause is. I have had 2 iron infusions and my hemoglobin stayed up for only 2 months after, and I get my blood drawn at least 6 times a year, so my hematology NP and hematologist can monitor my ferritin, tibc, my rbcs, my iron and my soluble receptor for my ferritin. I was also diagnosed with gerd and eosinophilic esophagitis this year as well via endoscopy”

“I’m young, and I’m really struggling with how quickly my life has changed. I already have several chronic health issues involving chronic pain, pelvic/GI problems, endometriosis, and a lot of medical appointments and testing. More recently, I suddenly lost most of the movement in my right foot. I’m still being worked up for the cause, but right now I’m using crutches and will be using a wheelchair too. Before all of this, I worked a lot, drove myself everywhere, exercised, did art, went out, and”

“I'm a young lad, in his 20s and have pretty much wasted 7 of years of my life, hopping from one doctor to another, and illness has turned me disabled, to the point I can't feel a single emotion, can't have a job, can't date, can't enjoy the most basic pleasures a human could experience; my quality of life is shit, as bad a bedridden 70 year old. It's debilitating to the point that I usually sit in my room, just googling and trying to figure it out myself and some freelanc”

“I 23F, have been chronically ill for 3 1/2 years. Diagnosed with POTS and hEDS and some undiagnosed G.I. issue. I originally started having symptoms back in June 2025 and have not found any relief. Was originally told it’s gastroparesis. They went back on that and said it was SIBO. After two rounds of antibiotics nothing cleared up. I went to Cleveland clinic back in July and they said “well it’s not gastroparesis. It’s not SIBO. It just kinda looks like IBS.” I was overly frustrated because aft”

“I 29f, have been chronically ill for 15 years: first, endometriosis...yay, then something undiagnosed that I'm trying to find the energy to pursue an answer to...Rheum suspects some form of dysautonomia....yay x2. I can't work, I've never been able to work a "proper" job, meaning disability is limited to SSI, since I've never paid into my Social Security. I have worked a mild job looking after little kids for my neighbor who runs a family daycare. I'd watch the babe”

“i'm a 24 year old mom to a 3 year old toddler and i'm a SAHM with ME/CFS and pretty bad vitamin deficiencies. there are probably other underlying health issues but i'm still in the process of getting my doctors to find out what else is wrong. i'm constantly exhausted, my brain fog makes it so hard to complete simple tasks. Just getting up and walking to the bathroom leaves me winded and fatigued. I get dizzy often, my body doesn't regulate temperature properly so I often get”

“Hi everyone! I have ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) which is very misunderstood and underrepresented in a lot of spaces especially YouTube. I was asked to participate in a patient stories feature where I was able to film over many days to do so, so it shows a pretty raw picture of what living with ME is like. Though a bit unconventional, I worked very hard to represent my community and would so very much appreciate anyone clicking the YouTube link and checking it out. Any stories of ME patients b”

“I’m just really tired. I’ve been sick since I was two. I’m 34F now, so I’m pretty used to my body doing all kinds of things against me and causing me pain. I have CVID and a bunch of other diagnoses, including arthritis that hasn’t been properly diagnosed or treated because my tests keep coming back negative for RA and other autoimmune diseases. I’m on azathioprine for the last year but nothing changes, although my doctors think without it it could be worse. Anyway, I’ve learned to live with pai”

“Me and my husband are together for a long time. We got together when my health was better but now I'm practically housebound. I feel resentment from him more and more that he has to " take care of me" alone. That I have nobody else to drive me to the doctors or on a good days shopping. He doesn't get it that when you're sick people dissapear. That yes, maybe a friend will do you a favour once or twice but that's it. I can take care of myself and the house I just need a”

“I’m kinda new to this marriage thing. We’ve only been married 6 months. Dated for a full year. Yesterday I had my first flare up since married(he knew I was chronically ill before marriage)Sometimes my flareup can be 1 day or a week. A month ago diagnosed with Mctd and inflammation everywhere. Yesterday he went to work for 6hrs straight. No calls, no texts, no checking up if I need anything. I feel this was very inconsiderate. But maybe you guys can let me know if I’m wrong or right feeling this”

“Hi, I just wanted some advice as I’m feeling stuck. Over the last few years my health has declined, I’ve gotten to a point where I’m in constant pain and fatigued, lots of joint pain and a genuinely never ending headache. My partner has been incredible, he always does whatever he can to make life easier for me. But he’s frustrated, this isn’t the life he envisioned for himself or for us. I know he loves me but I can’t help feeling like I’m ruining his life. I’m not sure how to comfort him when t”

“So I've been chronically sick since 2014 started with daily headache and migraines and gi issues and then developed neurological symptoms that progressed over time I've been seeing doctors and each time i tell them my symptoms the first thing they ask is why I'm not married and they say I'm not sick and it's all in my head it's depression And no my family are convinced that it's all because im single My tests are abnormal emg (myelopathy ) Homocysteine 30 and Ferritin”

“My partner has asked me twice to go to this restaurant with him. The first time, I had an active migraine and didn’t want to be in a restaurant. The second time, I told him I didn’t feel up to going because they only have spicy things there and I’ve been in a flare all week having to take a bunch of meds that are hard on my insides and didn’t want to kick more things up for me digestively. He was upset by this, and it feels like I’m being blamed for being sick versus us both getting to feel disa”

submitted by /u/RipAppropriate6160 [link] [comments]

“I'm a SAHM and was recently diagnosed with a serious health condition. I spent nearly a month in bed sick before diagnosis, a week in hospital, then a week at home recovering from a surgery to implant a port in my chest. My house got bad, really bad during this time. With everyone's help, it's livable again, but not great. I go to treatments 3x a week for 5 hours at a time now. I don't have the strength or energy to do everything and need to take frequent breaks some days. What a”

“I’ve been with my boyfriend for about 3 months now and it has been really frustrating how constantly my pain and fatigue becomes the center of our time together. He is really good to me, he massages my muscles and tries his best to accommodate for my needs, but there’s a part of me that is convinced that it will become too much. My pain is sometimes so bad that I can’t sleep, I’m constantly getting up and moving around while he is sleeping and most likely waking him up. It’s hard for me to focus”

“Essentially, the title. I have 2 hormonally fuelled diseases so, although there is a slight pattern, how I feel each day is up to the gods. Like, I could do/eat the exact same things every day and one day I can conquer the world and the next I need to lie down after only being up for a couple of hours. On the rest days it's hard not to berate myself. How do you all cope? submitted by /u/didsir29 [link] [comments]”

“What resources are available for the partners of people living with chronic illnesses. My spouse is interested in seeking out a support group to better understand how to support me and take care of himself. submitted by /u/Lost_In_Spacebar [link] [comments]”

“My girlfriend is dealing with chronic health issues related to mold exposure. She's currently living in another state so she can receive treatment from specialists. Before moving in with me she had been sick, and after moving into my house her symptoms got worse. We suspected mold in my home, so I had remediation done and fogged the house, but it's likely there was still exposure. She's now moved out to somewhere safe and focusing on treatment and recovery. I love her so much, and my”

“Hi guys, I (25F) have a history of covid-related autoimmune issues that disabled me pretty badly in the past. Luckily, my body was able to recover over the years, but I still deal with a lot of chronic fatigue, pain and occasional lingering nerve issues. I graduated from college this year after a six year fight to get through, but putting work above all else and frequently staying up late took a big toll. In April, I started a full-time job, and my health has gotten worse despite leaving my harm”

“(Please let me know if post warnings could be marked better - mention of weight is brief, about loss.) I have existing physical chronic illness diagnosis - but have had a long, frustrating and somewhat invasive workup since April. This unfortunately began with a new PCP, and am now seeing new specialists. They don't agree with each other on what tests to order, whether there is acute infectious issue, neuro-autoimmune or other chronic issue. Some take me off very helpful medicines in case of”

“Hello friends, I have had multiple chronic illnesses for several years but was recently in a car accident that amplified my symptoms and added some new issues. My symptoms have made it impossible to work right now. I am in an IOP mental health program and spend most of my time figuring out disability related stuff. I’ve found that my mental health improved with therapy and then has begun to take a turn for the worse again because my health issues have become debilitating and isolating. Does anyo”

“Hey y’all never thought I’d be making a Reddit Post, but here we are lol. I’m (24m) who recently is coming to terms with my health, specifically my suspected chronic illnesses for some time now. I was recently diagnosed with FND, chronic migraines, and undiagnosed but suspected (PEM/ME/autoimmune disorder). It’s been incredibly hard having to navigate through this alongside my wonderful partner (who’s currently my primary caretaker at this moment). I’m no longer able to work the full time job I”

“I live with chronic illnesses, and I’ve been dating this guy for over a year. We’ve always been very close and had a strong understanding of each other. I rarely complain about my illness or pain, not just with him, but with anyone. I usually keep it to myself and try to push through. The problem is that whenever I’m having a flare up or my energy is completely drained, I can’t always give him the constant attention or long conversations he expects. He knows how much physical pain, exhaustion, a”

“hey, as above I have both endometriosis, migraines, adhd, and OCD for which I am medicated for all (iud, had surgery for endo, have opiates for flare ups, triptans for migraine and take adhd meds as well as other SSRIs). EDIT: sorry this turned out to be a long one but I would appreciate you reading, if you have time: I (F28) live with my boyfriend (M30) and have been together for nearly 6 years. This week I developed a very bad UTI, I'm on my period but I am also in the middle of working fu”

“I have POTS, HSD/hEDS, and MCAS and I’ve had a really rough year of just one thing after another despite me trying to do everything I “should” do. A conversation about baseball got me thinking about the meaning of perseverance and how it’s a skill we’re all forced to learn in this community. I wanted to share in case it helps others feel seen. ❤️ [ https://hypermobilephysicist.com/perseverance-and-the-love-of-the-game/\](https://hypermobilephysicist.com/perseverance-and-the-love-of-the-game/) &#”