CHRONIC ILLNESS AND FRIENDSHIP - YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Living with chronic illness often means your friendships and relationships have to change, and that can be really tough to navigate. Goodness knows I'm no expert, but in this video I chat about my own experiences of managing friendships alongside my energy-limiting condition and also answer some of your questions from Instagram - how to discuss your health with friends, make accessible plans, deal with conflict, and plenty more. Hope you enjoy/find this helpful!
MENTIONED:
The Luna Project Resources: www.thelunaproject.org.uk/fro...
Anna (Tea Party For ME & Film Fest): teapartyfor...
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SHOP MY BOOKS AND EBOOKS: tinyurl.com/ybn7a832​​​
MY TEDx TALK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j7JR....
BLOG: www.lifeofpippa.co.uk
CONTACT: [e-mail]
FACEBOOK: tinyurl.com/y8mgnb9a​​​
TWITTER: tinyurl.com/yb46swvj​​​
INSTAGRAM: tinyurl.com/ydxvl97z​​​
GOODREADS: tinyurl.com/y8npna28
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My name is Pippa Stacey and I’m a disabled writer, presenter, and communications consultant based in York. I enjoy theatre, books, and fundraising, and can most often be found wearing some form of pyjamas and drinking all the tea.
I acquired my chronic illness as a young adult and struggle daily with the challenges of living my best life alongside managing a debilitating health condition. However, I’ve finally learned that I don’t have to ‘overcome’ or ‘defy’ my illness in order to be successful, and there’s truly nobody’s path to follow but your own.
You can find out more by visiting www.lifeofpippa.co.uk, and subscribe to see videos about working, travelling, and learning to make the most of life alongside my chronic illness. Thank you so much for being here!

[@CKDrumsInc]

Thank you Pippa, just one of those mornings, you've got a nice upbeat tone that cheered me up

[@xpowerchairpositivityx]

Since becoming chronically ill/disabled I've lost many friends due to not being able to do the things I could and go to the places I could. I've found the few friends or family I have left locally are very awkward/embarrassed around me now I need to use a wheelchair. There's always an excuse if I ask to go somewhere or meet up. Most of my better friendships are online. On the other hand I prefer my own company a lot of the time.

[@ruby3200]

Thank you so much for making this video!🥰
Since I got ME, I have really struggled with loneliness. Before I got sick, I would go to a rock climbing gym and that’s how I made friends/socialized. It has been really difficult to mourn the loss of that hobby and my outlet of socialization. I am mostly house bound. I have a really large and supportive family, but sometimes you just want to talk to someone who you aren’t related to. The lack of socialization has led me to a struggle with depression. Since finding TH-cam channels like yours, it has helped me because I see I’m not alone. I find chatting with people who make the videos, but also supporting others who leave comments can be comforting. It’s a bit silly, but I’ve found that I have become friends with fictional characters in books and movies as well.😂
I have dealt with people who give unsolicited advice, family and just people I know in general. I try to at first give them the benefit of the doubt, but if they continue to try to tell me what to do with my health, I immediately tell them to cut it out and I often just walk away. They know that they are bothering you, but want to tell you what’s what. Being short with them when they persist shows that you will not allow them to walk all over you. If they continue to be a problem,I ask a family member to stand up for me when the conversation comes up. Sorry for the long comment.😵‍💫

[@ruby3200]

Your hair is gorgeous by the way.😊

[@LifeOfPippa]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with loneliness Ruby, it's wild how many of us used to have such full-on and active hobbies pre-illness. So glad you find comfort in these videos and I know just what you mean - I'm usually a silent scroller on other people's but there's nothing better than a lovely comments section full of people looking out for each other. Great tips on the unsolicited advice front too, thank you for sharing! Hope today has been as kind as possible to you xx

[@margaritacarro5026]

I'm mostly housebound as well for more than one reason. CFS is 1 of them. I also feel like I'm friends with certain characters from certain series or movies that I watch often.😊

[@susanday3478]

I'm mostly housebound too. I'm writing a novel so my characters keep me company because it's amazing how quickly friends disappear when you get sick.

[@hannahmackay-jackson3051]

What is the chronic illness support group you found in Newcastle?

[@louiseboussobeine2618]

Ah i can't believe I've just found your page - my son is 14 and suffers with long covid x pots and vitamin b12 and vitamin d deficiency

[@LifeOfPippa]

So sorry to hear about your son's conditions, hope you're both doing as okay as possible. You're not alone!

[@willowithywindle]

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