Have you gotten it from anyone who thinks M.E./anxiety/depression aren't real? I once had someone tell me my autism was bullshit and that autistic kids are the way they are because their parents didn't beat them enough.
God, really? Thatās terrible, Iām very sorry you had to deal with that, mate.
Iāve dealt with similar rubbish - in fact, did you read my last post? That person right there with their, āYou can lie in bed but youād better think of the consequences [of daring to be ill]ā, is an attitude Iāve dealt with for years. Iāve found people tend to be more understanding of depression than of M.E. - people tend to think M.E. is just extreme laziness. Before I was diagnosed with M.E. and Endometriosus, everyone from my family to my teachers, to my damn doctors thought I was faking it (ten years ago M.E. was still pretty controversial, and thereās still a bit of a stigma attached to it today). But Iād gone from being a really sporty, outgoing kid, to collapsing during shinty matches in pain and not being able to physically move for hours, sometimes days. In fact, everyone I know whoās had M.E. has been a pretty high achiever, so itās not laziness, itās not people just throwing their hands up and going āoh well, thatās too hard, Iām going for a nap.ā
Iāve also come across a number of people who believe depression is something that can easily be overcome with positivity or that itās a new, trendy Western āillnessā, and people in third worlds donāt suffer from it - they just āget on with itā. Which is of course complete bullshit.
I know itās easier said than done, but people like that? Theyāre not worth listening to and we shouldnāt give them the time of day, because theyāre the ones holding society back in the way we think about and treat people with autism, mental health, etc.
