Chronic Pain Help
Hey guys!
I just joined this for a little bit of help in my daily struggles. I'm 18 years old and a college student. I'm pretty much your typical college student, besides the fact that every morning when I wake up I feel like my body is trying to destroy me. I've been diagnosed with endometriosis, have undergone harsh hormone chemotherapy treatments that left me going through menopause and dealing with fibromyalgia as well. I also suffer from IBS, and my doctor thinks now i have interstitial cystitis. Basically I'm having a rough time relating to EVERY person here on campus, as they go out and drink and party and talk about immature things. I relate to no one, and truly am feeling very lonely because of the constant pain. I have a boyfriend, who is probably my biggest support, but as he is a guy sometimes I feel like I want a girlfriend who can understand my pain and get what I'm going through. I'm just very lost. I don't know how to handle stresses of daily life (and I am pretty busy) on top of being in pain every day. I tried to go to the counseling they offer here, as I have been to a therapist before I began college, and the woman literally told me "Well, it'll be hard to fix your depression, seeing as you actually have a condition that is pretty depressing that I can't just make go away." I've secluded myself from others, and at this point have almost no interest in anything. Waking up everyday is so hard, and I long to be normal.
So, I guess I was wondering, is there anyone going through college/school that is also dealing with the depressing issue of chronic pain? If so, PLEASE don't hesitate to get into contact with me. I know i'm in need of a buddy, but I know that I can be someone else's ear to listen as well. I just need help dealing with things, I guess!
Thanks all!
While it may seem like everyone else is out drinking, I assure you there are others dealing with chronic pain too! Maybe not due to the same combo of causes, but they are out there.
I have chronic illnesses and made it through 2 undergraduate degrees but things got too bad during graduate school for me to continue with that.
If there is no support group on campus, it may be difficult to connect with other students going through similar things. You do have options that may help with connecting to others though. If you feel up to organizing it you could seek out others. This could be as simple as advertising around a bit and sticking up a sign on a table and having others join you for a coffee break somewhere. You could also look into groups unrelated to pain, but something that you have an interest in. This may help in finding others who have a common interest and do something other than going to places where alcohol is served to socialize.
Don't knock the immature topics too much. You've been through a lot by the sounds of it and you do need a place to discuss the serious things. You're also young though and a bit of immature conversation can be quite enjoyable if you give it a chance.
Feel free to check out the disability support chat room! There's usually a decent group going late evening/night in the American time zones.
I'm sorry to hear what the counsellor said. Yes, chronic health issues can be quite depressing. It doesn't mean that you can't find joy in your life and recover from that depression though. Many people face depressing situations and make it out mentally healthy after some work <3
I am not currently going through your situation, however I was in a similar situation when I was your age.
I'm a listener so please feel free to message me if you'd like to set up a time to chat, just mention a day/time that works for you and I'll get back to you as soon as I can <3
Know you are not alone!
Hi, I'm a grad student with chronic pain/disability issues - feel free to message me any time! First of all, your school should have a disability coordinator on campus. This person is in charge of regulating IEPs and making sure that students are given the accommodations they need. I have mobility issues along with pain so I was allowed to drive to my classes, park on campus for free, get an apartment early (I have gastroparesis so I have certain dietary regulations that were more easily met by cooking for myself than eating school food). You may be eligible for extended test times, more absences from classes than other students, and other accommodations. I was lucky in that the therapist I saw on school had a disabled daughter. I would highly recommend asking your counseling center if there's anyone who handles disability and chronic illness, rather than depression. They're often closely related, but those who don't understand disability cannot understand the weight it carries and the ways in which it impacts your emotions. Having a knowledgeable partner is honestly such a big help, I'm glad you have someone in your life who knows your limitations and respects them. It can be really stressful to date and try and figure out things you can do, but feel free to message me about some ideas. At the beginning of each term, I would go and sit down with my profs and explain my disease to them. It was really none of their business, but they were much more caring and sympathetic once I told them the health issues I was struggling with. They made it a point to offer their help - so don't be scared of office hours. I am a grad student with TA hours, and honestly we're here to be of assistance to you, not to make you struggle with your course load. IBS can be really really hard to deal with, my mom has it. It seems like she has hills and valleys where she can't stomach anything and then other times she's fine. Make sure to keep food in your house that you can get down, because if you don't eat you'll just get dizzy and be constantly exhausted. School is definitely hard, but there are ways of coping that can get you through it. Make sure to give yourself a mental and physical break every once in a while, because any student needs that, and you're dealing with medical conditions on top of the stressful semester course load. Best of luck, I hope you're enjoying the holiday break now and that you have an awesome semester lined up!
