I think the best answer is we have a disorder that has a lot of components to it that we didn't ask for but got anyway because whomever you call your Higher Power saw you were strong enough to deal with something that 95% of people are not strong enough to handle. He/she saw that you could believe in yourself & reach out for help to get through this & find enough doctors to handle all the aches & pains with his/ her help. We are the survivors! Hell no, we don't like all of it but we learn to take it in stride & move forward because we have no choice but death & we are not ready to die! This is why we have this forum to help one another because we understand one another as no one else does! It hurts but we keep fighting to give one another another moment of serenity amidst the struggles
You are my best friend & I am your best friend & together, we are going to play this monster that no one wants in their life!

Hi

I was diagnosed young and I'm much older now, when I was young, it was extremely hard telling people that I had this condition. People did not expect it in a young woman, which was part of the problem, the second issue was my inability to have a social life in the way that many young people participated in. This obviously as an effect on every aspect of a person's life, on personal growth especially, and happiness.

There will always be prejudice against people who are sick or have long-term conditions. Having a chronic illness isn't easy and society often perceives people according to status, that's the harsh reality. Those that cannot do as much, can be perceived by foolish people in society, as 'less than'.

Identity is made up of self-identity and social identity and social identity, this one can be hard if you have a chronic illness, you may not be able to participate in group events the way others can. So all these social events and times form experiences and from these experience of life, we form belief systems about the world.

The formative years and especially adolescence are important in forming an identity away from the young person's parents and are a step of the adolescence moving into the social world in a greater way, so with chronic illness diagnosed young, this can have a serious impact. People diagnosed young can miss out on the formative years where people plan careers, families, hobbies, social gatherings, parties etc and begin doing things that are part of being a young adult.

When I was young, this part of my life was very different from a healthy young person and it can be devastating and isolating and you feel like you have lost so much.

I think when you start to discuss having a chronic condition many people just act like 'oh how depressing' and they want to either move on the conversation or they can favor others who they feel will fit in better and be able to do more things. When I was young it was perceived as 'oh she's not going to be fun' because there were many things that I could not do that other young person could.

I think that scientific research into the illness will be better in the future.

So if many doors are closed, what can you do?

You can build up your identity by taking up hobbies, something small could be as simple as reading if reading is hard audio books, learning something even if it has to be at a slow pace.

You start by opening small doors and you don't give up. You can build a character. You have to understand you are unique, even with your illness, and you are special and there is no one else quite like you in the world genetically. You have something to offer the world and other people. Over time you may build up a new identity. Identity changes throughout life, it's never static or still, its fluid.

Love and hugs

Rose

Don’t give up don’t let fibromyalgia dictate who you are and can be. It may not be tomorrow or the next day. but you will find a way to out maneuver this life sucking syndrome. Nobody knows how you feel unless they already have fibromyalgia so surround yourself with people who understand not to give up but to know you are not alone. don’t can’t won’t let fibromyalgia take over your life.

I been sick since I was 32 diagnosed with what people consider old people diseases. To this day I heard of comments that I am just lazy and called a witch with a b because I don't take any crap from anyone. Life is too short. My best advice is roll with the punches and take the hurdles s one foot at a time. When it comes to family friends and significant other my attitude is your either with me or your not. If you are n't with me then screw you I don't got time to listen to your opinion and what you think I should be doing. It sounds like I am sabtoaging my self which in some ways I might be . I now have a mini family of very supportive people who care about me and don't get upset with me because shucky darn i had a flare. The people in my circle are supportive and it doesn't bother them that hey I missed a meeting cause more likely they gonna miss that meeting and hanging too. I am stronger than i seem watch out here comes mighty mouse is how i feel

I with you on that.
Thing is, you cancel dates, you don't feel like having people over. People see you as being depressed because you lay down a lot and lost your moe joe.