The Diagnosis No One Talks About

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                                       But Should


Let’s be real for a second — chronic illness doesn’t just attack your body. It slowly creeps into your thoughts, your moods, your confidence, your identity. It makes you question everything: Am I lazy? Am I dramatic? Am I broken?


And more often than not, we try to carry it all in silence.


When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it felt like my body had betrayed me. But when I was later diagnosed with depression… it felt like I had betrayed myself. That’s the thing no one really tells you — how much chronic illness and mental health are connected. And how easily the one that hurts the most is the one we never talk about.


At first, I was ashamed. I didn’t want to admit I needed help. I thought if I could just push through the pain, take my meds, and smile enough, maybe the darkness in my chest would go away on its own. It didn’t. It got heavier. And with every flare-up, every canceled plan, every misunderstanding from people who meant well but didn’t get it — that heaviness grew.


Until one day, I realized: I needed to talk to someone who saw ME — not just my symptoms.


And that’s when everything began to change.


Getting a psychologist who was passionate, gentle, and truly listened wasn’t just a turning point — it was a lifeline. I didn’t have to pretend. I didn’t have to filter my thoughts. I got to pour out the things I never dared say aloud:

The fear of being a burden.

The grief over who I used to be.

The guilt over not “getting better.”

The quiet wish to just feel normal again.


And you know what happened?

I started to breathe again — differently.

I started to understand my emotions instead of fighting them.

I started seeing myself with more compassion and less shame.


That’s the power of therapy. It’s not magic. It doesn’t “fix” you overnight. But it guides you back to yourself — gently, honestly, and without judgment.


If you’re living with any lifelong illness — I beg you, from the most loving place in my heart:

Find a psychologist. Talk. Cry. Unpack. Heal.

Because carrying it all on your own is too much — and you were never meant to.


Mental health matters just as much as physical health — especially when you’re fighting daily battles inside a body that looks “fine” on the outside. Seeing a psychologist isn’t weakness. It’s one of the bravest and strongest things you can do for yourself.


And I promise you — the clarity, self-awareness, and peace that follows?

It’s worth every tear, every uncomfortable truth, and every step toward healing.


You deserve to feel understood.

You deserve to feel lighter.

You deserve to go on with your life — not just surviving, but truly living.


–

Flare & Flourish

Because healing starts when you finally speak the words you were afraid to say.


Follow me on twitter for updates https://x.com/FlareflourishF

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