Lost a friend.

Sorry...that really sucks. I hide my disability as much as possible because people are so judgemental. I have an invisible disability but lots of medical documentation to prove it but people are just too judgey, even my own family. I don't talk about it really except with my doc and my wife and people on here. I used medical marijuana for nearly a decade and didn't tell anyone. My wife knew and she told her parents about it for some reason but that was it. Nobody in my family knew and they still don't know I ever used it. When I went back on narcotics I treated it the same way and told nobody because people will judge. I have a properly trained service dog and don't put her gear on unless it is required for access because when her gear is on so many random strangers in public say really rude things like "you're not blind" or "why do you have a service dog, you don't look disabled" or they just tell me I am not allowed to have my dog where we are or just trying to be nosy and ask a lot of questions about my sd. It is incredibly frustrating and hurtful the same as some pharmacists think they can judge me based on how I look and deny filling my pain meds because I am not visible disabled. Random people who don't know me think that I am faking a disability but I actually am trying to fake being well all the time to get through the day. People only see me on my good days...they don't see when I am crying in level 10 pain and can't get out of bed or am having problems walking.

Anyway, do your best to ignore what other people think and realize you don't need anyone's approval or validation and don't need to explain or justify yourself to anyone except your doctor. If you want to tell them, fine, but as you know you might see a side of that person you wish you hadn't and when that happens it is hard to remain friends.

/r/ChronicPain Thread