I Am Tired of Explaining Myself

Every time I cancel, I have to explain.

Every time I say no, I have to explain.

Every time I need to leave early, sit down, skip something, change plans — I have to explain.

And the explaining is its own kind of exhaustion.

Because I have been doing it for years.

And no matter how many times I explain, I am not sure people really understand.

They nod.

They say they get it.

And then next time they are surprised again.

Or they forget.

Or they say: but you were fine last week.

And I have to explain again.

I am not asking for sympathy.

I am asking for the explaining to stop being necessary.

I am asking for a world where I do not have to justify my body every single day.

I am so tired.

Not just of the pain.

Of the explaining.

The emotional labor of living with an invisible illness is real and significant. Constantly having to justify your experience to others adds a layer of stress on top of an already taxed nervous system.

You should not have to earn the right to rest. You should not have to prove that you are suffering.

BioBreathing is a space where none of that is required. Just come as you are.

Begin your free 5-minute reset →

Related: I Look Fine, So People Think I'm Fine · I Started Apologizing for Having a Body That Hurt · Why Chronic Pain Keeps the Body on High Alert