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? That’s terrible, I’m very sorry you had to deal with that, mate.
I’ve dealt with similar rubbish - in fact, did you read my last post? That person right there with their, “You can lie in bed but you’d better think of the consequences [of daring to be ill]”, is an attitude I’ve dealt with for years. I’ve 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 there’s still a bit of a stigma attached to it today). But I’d 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 who’s had M.E. has been a pretty high achiever, so it’s not laziness, it’s not people just throwing their hands up and going “oh well, that’s too hard, I’m going for a nap.”
I’ve also come across a number of people who believe depression is something that can easily be overcome with positivity or that it’s a new, trendy Western “illness”, and people in third worlds don’t suffer from it - they just “get on with it”. Which is of course complete bullshit.
I know it’s easier said than done, but people like that? They’re not worth listening to and we shouldn’t give them the time of day, because they’re the ones holding society back in the way we think about and treat people with autism, mental health, etc.
