* This post is written by our previous Website Administrator. *

Hi, I'm Hannah! As a teen, I was very much a jack of all trades and a master of none, getting involved in all sorts of activities and extracurriculars. I was 16 when I first started experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia that would keep me home from school. When I was 19, I caught a virus that I never really recovered from. After what felt like an age of investigation, and one month spent mostly housebound and bedridden, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.

For some time after becoming ill, I never really knew how to describe myself to people I met; managing chronic illness felt like my one full-time job and the only defining characteristic about me. At the same time, I often didn’t feel justified in the struggles I faced and was constantly discounting my own experiences. I felt like an imposter and a faker, and that all my so-called “struggles” would easily disappear if I simply put in a bit more effort. Sadly, I think a lot of us can relate to internalising this ableist belief system. We live in a world that is so fast paced, so competitive, and often unjust and unforgiving. We’re taught – if not always so explicitly - that we should be aiming to come out on top all the time, otherwise our efforts aren’t worth anything.