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- Do you ever feel like you have to justify yourself to others because of your RA?
Do you ever feel like you have to justify yourself to others because of your RA?
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yikesspikes
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yikesspikes
Last activity on 29/03/2023 at 15:53
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11 comments posted | 10 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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@Kristine Hi, yes! I was just thinking this. How many times have I heard "But you were fine yesterday, what's the problem today?". It's very hard to make people understand. Do you have any tips on how you explain your illness?
rheumiroomie
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rheumiroomie
Last activity on 30/06/2023 at 20:54
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9 comments posted | 8 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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@Kristine @yikesspikes I understand this completely. Because it's one of those "invisible" illnesses people seem to think that it's non-existent or not bad at all! I've lost my patience and I don't justify myself anymore. At this point people will either accept it and me, as RA is a large part of my life, unfortunately, or they won't.
Aideen61
Aideen61
Last activity on 17/10/2020 at 13:05
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2 comments posted | 2 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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If I can just add something to this..... no one gets Rheumatoid Arthritis until they get it.......same way we can’t know what someone else is dealing with if we’ve never experienced it.
pain has to be experienced to be totally understood. I gave up justifying myself a few years ago. Good friends and family understand as best they can. Don’t worry about the rest. Stay safe x gentle hugs
Claylily
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Claylily
Last activity on 30/07/2022 at 10:52
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3 comments posted | 3 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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Oh definitely! There have been a couple of occasions where I've been laid in bed for 7 days not able to do anything,in so much pain,every move is extremely hard. I also have C -Reactive Protein which is bad enough. When the advertisement comes on for Arthritis and I say to people I know how that feels,it's like ,yeah right.☹️ I have Polyarticular Arthritis in my hands , knees,feet.on a good day I can grip with my fingers,on others I can't straighten or grip. It's invisible and debilitating.
Courtney_J
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Courtney_J
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Last activity on 13/10/2022 at 16:47
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@Claylily Hello Claylily, thank you for commenting. That sounds really painful, I'm sorry you're going through that. Do your friends and family understand what you're going through? What do you do to explain it to them?
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Courtney_J, Community Manager, Carenity UK
Claylily
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Claylily
Last activity on 30/07/2022 at 10:52
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3 comments posted | 3 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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Hi Courtney,yes most of them do and I do get help and support as I live on my own.i guess unless you've been through it,they don't really know the extent of what we all go through. It's hard to explain how it feels to them .
rheumiroomie
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rheumiroomie
Last activity on 30/06/2023 at 20:54
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@Claylily I understand this completely. They just don't get it. That's why I've just given up trying to explain or justify myself.
Claylily
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Claylily
Last activity on 30/07/2022 at 10:52
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yikesspikes
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yikesspikes
Last activity on 29/03/2023 at 15:53
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This may be a slightly different question, but does anyone else feel like people look at you differently when they hear about your RA? Like they look at you with pity or like you've got something wrong with you? Maybe it's just all in my head, but I feel like they feel or look at me in a way that I am not as valuable as a person or that I cannot do certain things.
EmmyJane
EmmyJane
Last activity on 10/05/2023 at 20:18
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15 comments posted | 13 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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@yikesspikes I've experienced this since I've been officially diagnosed. Since I've been able to put a name on the pain I've been experiencing I feel like my friends and family just look at me like "poor you". Friends don't ask me to do things as much anymore I feel. I guess one benefit is that I don't get asked to help move my friend's flats anymore. But overall I feel pitied and it frustrates me.
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EmmyJane
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Kristine
Kristine
Last activity on 10/04/2020 at 20:45
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2 comments posted | 1 in the Living with rheumatoid arthritis group
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Does anybody seem to be justifying themselves to other people.
As rheumatoid is unpredictable, it seems some people don’t understand.