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@thechronicconfessions

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ADHD masking in women can look like smiling, performing, and appearing “fine” while quietly fighting internalized shame.

For years, many neurodivergent women learned to hide the messy, exhausted, unpolished parts of themselves because they feared being judged. But unmasking can begin with something as simple as showing up with your natural hair, no makeup, and no apology.

You don’t have to look perfect to deserve understanding. You don’t have to hide who you are to be accepted.

This clip is from The Women Everyone Missed, featuring Sarah Buckley on Hidden in Plain Sight.

Comment MISSED and I’ll send you the full episode. 🧡

#ADHD #ADHDinWomen #ADHDAwareness #LateDiagnosis #HiddenInPlainSight

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Are you giving smaller accounts the attention they deserve?

What about accounts you support that are created by marginalized individuals?

These accounts and resources only continue to exist because of your interactions and engagement. Make sure you aren’t skipping them for ones that have failed their audience. If you do, we won’t be here when you need it the most

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Surviving
I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for life’s little moments and empathy for others facing similar issues. My life isn’t just about bouncing back but fighting back, daily! Each morning I wake up, ask myself, “is today going to be a flare up day? How bad is my pain?”

Through it all, I’ve learned that falling apart doesn’t mean defeat—it’s a chance to push back and try again. I cherish every moment of my good health days and try to find my happiness, when I am doing “okay”.. let me just remind you and “OK day “is probably a 8 1/2 level of pain for those who are asking. I have to push through with that level of pain, often. Those are my good days. My bad days well they hurt so bad even a deep breath causes me to cringe. The pain is so severe, that I struggled to move my hands and fingers in the morning. That my leg in the wrong position at night can cause me difficulty to walk.

Chronic pain is constant and it’s a gamble. You just never know what the day will be like.

On my low level pain days, 6 1/2 on the scale, I am able to spend quality time with my girls and do things with my husband. But trust me when I tell you I spend a lot of time, relaxing, sitting trying to work through pain. I have spent so many sleepless nights in painsomnia, staring in the darkness because my body aches too bad to close my eyes. But on those days that hurt so much to move. I still try to engage with my family watch movies on the couch. I have no choice, but to wake up and participate in my life because I can’t allow it to take any more days away from me.

xx
#mymelanomaworld #melanoma #cancer #chronicpain #chronicillness #survivor .

Created by @my_melanoma_world

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𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩! 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧.🥀
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📸 Pinterest
🏷️
#chronicallyillville
#chronic
#chronicillness
#chronicpain
#grief
#grieving
#grievingyouroldself
#invisableillness
#invisabledisabilities
#invisabledisease
#ittakesavillage

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Chronically Me
Living with a chronic illness means carrying an incurable condition that really hits every part of your life. It’s not just the physical pain—it’s the emotional weight of knowing there’s no end to the journey.

Frustration: from missed opportunities and limitations.
Grief: for the life you once knew.

Loneliness: because not everyone understands the invisible struggle.

Resilience: because every day is a choice to get up and participate in your life, even when it’s a flare up day.

Chronic illness is a constant battle and has no off days! There’s no escaping it. There’s no stopping it! There’s no way to prevent it. Chronic illness always WINS!

But having the support of the chronic illness community, DOES make a difference.

#mymelanomaworld #chronicillness #invisibleillnes #youarenotalone #chronicpain #fibromialgia #fibrowarrior #fibromyalgiawarrior .

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On the 1st day of Pain
my body gave to me….

twist on the Christmas version, explaining some of our chronic pain issues! xx

#mymelanomaworld #chronicillness #12daysofchristmas #chronicpainproblems #chronicpain #christmas .

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Chronically Me
Every day, I wake up and wonder if I’ll be in pain. This has been my reality since probably 2009. Initially, I thought the pain was all cancer-related, and it most likely was. I was going through stage IV melanoma. But the pain persisted, never going away.

After years of trying to diagnose the problem, I was finally given a new diagnosis: chronic pain, specifically fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain that’s incredibly difficult to manage. So, each night, I go to bed with my body pulsing, throbbing, aching, and sometimes in agony. This leaves me with so many sleepless nights.

Tomorrow, when I wake up, I’m going to feel the same thing I do today: never ending pain. If you struggle with pain or chronic pain, I want you to know that I feel you!

Chronic Warrior
#chronicillness #chronicpain #pain #mymelanomaworld #chronicpainawareness #fibromyalgia #fibromayalgiaawareness .

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Chronically Me
At first, you’re polite—maybe offering it a drink or trying to ignore it. But as time goes on, it starts throwing tantrums, interrupting conversations, and making everything a little more difficult. You try to shove it in a corner, but it stubbornly pops back up, acting like it belongs there.

Your friends and family, who are well-meaning but also confused, keep offering you advice like “Just think positive!” or “Have you tried yoga?” and you’re left thinking, “If only there were a button to make this guest leave for good.”

In the meantime, you juggle between getting creative with pain management, learning new coping strategies, and—just occasionally—asking yourself, “Is there a secret exit I haven’t discovered yet?” But despite all the chaos, you keep going. Because, much like an unexpected guest, chronic pain can be there, loud and disruptive, but it doesn’t get to control the party. You’re still the host.

StayShady
#mymelanomaworld #melanoma #cancer #chronicfatiguefighter #chronicpain #chronicillness .

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🫥🫥🫥
When the pain first started, it felt like everyone thought I was lying. Every day was a battle against pain and constant fatigue, it went deep into my muscles and bones. The medical appointment, gave me such anxiety, not knowing what it might bring.

No one heard me in the beginning, I was told: “it’s just post cancer pain” “it’ll go away” “try yoga and exercise” “there’s nothing in the scans, I think you need to eat differently”…the list goes on and on!

But, eventually I found others like me. Who gets my pain. Friends who are compassionate and understanding. My family, after years, started listening and wanting to understand more about my pain. It took awhile for them to hear the truth.

#mymelanomaworld #chronicillness #cancer #chronicpainawareness #chronicillness #chronicpain #fibromyalgia #pain .

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