There are numerous social media sites and groups aimed to help bring together people suffering from Crohn's Disease. I myself am a member of several of these on Facebook alone. These groups are meant to bring Crohnies from all over the world to one place where they can share stories, vent, commiserate, and express their joys as well as frustrations in their journey with Crohn's. As I was perusing Facebook today I saw a young girl post about her happiness and joy with her current Crohn's situation. She was feeling great and wanted to share it with others so that perhaps that joy would give them something to feel joyful about. Many understood her post as an attempt to be uplifting to those that may not feel so lifted during difficult times. Others, however, chastised her for posting what they saw as some kind of lecture from a young girl that hadn't had Crohn's for very long and evidently hadn't suffered enough to be worthy of their respect.This pisses me off.
I may make enemies by this post, but I really don't give a shit. When people turn a public forum designed to help people with a similar affliction into a pissing contest, it makes me want to punch my computer screen. What the hell, people? It is hard enough to try and get someone who does not have this disease to understand what we are going through, but to attack one of our own for what seemed to be veiled jealousy, is sickening. Yes, what works for one of us isn't going to work for all of us, but that doesn't mean we should collectively shit all over what HAS worked for one of us. Don't be dismissive and arrogant. Be happy for God's sake that one of us has found relief. Too many of us are stuck in what I like to call "The Society of Sickness." Don't worry, I shall explain.
Being stuck in The Society of Sickness means that you are consumed by your illness and everything and every action you do is influenced and affected by said illness in a negative way. It is a vicious cycle that we have all fallen into at least once on our journey with Crohn's and many of us struggle to break free of. We get sick we feel down, which makes us feel even sicker. Also, we feel sick for so long, that feeling sick is now our new normal. This behavior isolates us a human beings and severely robs us of having any kind of quality of life. These public forums are designed to help break this cycle. And, that is why it is so important for us to always be encouraging and helpful no matter if a post is positive or negative.
Yes, we all have to live with Crohn's for, as of the writing of this post, the rest of our lives. That doesn't mean that Crohn's is our whole life. I don't know about you, but I have given too much time to this disease already to be giving it any more by sitting around and constantly thinking about how sick I am, or what this disease has done to me, or what it will do to me in the future. SNAP OUT OF IT. I know many of you are more sick than I am right now and I'm not saying that you will be cured if you just think happy thoughts, I'm saying that Crohn's does not dictate the outcome of your overall quality of life. And by quality of life I mean your general outlook on life. Take pleasure in the simplest of things, anything that can bring a smile to your face. If you are stuck in a bed somewhere, the internet has a vast plethora of amusing entertainment waiting at your fingertips that I guarantee will make the poopiest of us crack a smile.
So break free of the Society of Sickness and cheer up godammit. There are so many beautiful and amazing things in this world, and never forget that you are one of them. And for fuck's sake, laugh every now and then. It is the best medicine.
