As a chronically sick person still working through the Nightmare of Multiple Diagnoses Stage, I appreciate this podcast a great deal.
Living w chronic pain & illness is isolating as it is, & my knee-jerk response when my physical & mental health tank is isolating myself, which doesn’t tend to help matters at all. I’m not great at finding or fitting in w various online disability/chronic illness communities, which only adds to that sense of isolation. This podcast helps a lot w that feeling - I may not be the one talking or hosting, but it makes me feel seen & heard, regardless.
So many days anymore I wake up thinking I can’t tolerate the agony w of pushing forward toward accurate diagnoses & need to just quit trying. Hearing the stories of others on their health journeys lends me strength on my lowest days.
I am weirded out at the amount of reviews & comments asking the hosts to basically just change their entire personalities, voices, & neurodivergent “quirks” to suit the personal preferences of various individual listeners. *insert slow blinks* That is called ableism & is frowned upon in most disability-informed communities. Just FYI - when you do that, it sounds incredibly privileged, like this,
“I don’t like his/her/their voice. Tell them to change it to one that I like better.”
“I don’t like his/her/their ADHD. Tell them to mask that so I can be more comfortable.”
“I don’t like the way they come off when they’re in pain. Tell them to hide that so I don’t find it irritating.”
FWIW, the topics most complained about in other reviews are the very things that drew me to this podcast & keep me listening. I like the informal nature, the lack of pressure to mask neurodivergent behaviors (which btw is exhausting), & real, honest conversations about the struggles of living w chronic pain & illness.
I wasn’t looking for a chronic illness podcast bc I wanted something perfect & pretty w fake sprinkles on top. I was looking for a podcast that would resonate, draw me in, & make me feel less alone.
And that’s exactly what this podcast does. Thank you, for that.
