u/Heavy-Escape-957

Hi everyone,
I (39F) have been living with some form of chronic pain for as long as I can remember, and I’m wondering if anyone else can relate.
In elementary school, it was debilitating migraines that kept me home from school. Once I hit puberty, it became migraines plus severe menstrual pain. At 16, I started experiencing unexplained abdominal pain that eventually led to having both my appendix and gallbladder removed.
In 2015, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. Since then, I’ve had multiple excision surgeries and eventually a total hysterectomy due to endometriosis and PCOS.
In 2017, I was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, I’ve failed every medication I’ve tried for it. The one treatment that has helped the most has been lidocaine infusions, and after finally getting cardiac clearance, I’m scheduled to restart them tomorrow. I’m really hoping they provide some relief.
Lately, though, I’ve been struggling with something beyond just the physical pain. Living with pain day after day is exhausting, especially when a flare lasts well beyond a week.
I’d really love to hear from others who understand.
● How have you found purpose or meaning while living with chronic pain?
● What helps you cope mentally and emotionally during bad flare days?
● What do you do when a flare just won’t let up?
● How do you keep yourself from feeling discouraged or hopeless during long stretches of pain?
● Have you found any non-medication strategies that genuinely make a difference?
● If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain for years, what do you wish someone had told you early on?
Any advice, encouragement, or personal experiences would mean so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this. ❤️

Hi everyone,
I (39F) have been living with some form of chronic pain for as long as I can remember, and I’m wondering if anyone else can relate.
In elementary school, it was debilitating migraines that kept me home from school. Once I hit puberty, it became migraines plus severe menstrual pain. At 16, I started experiencing unexplained abdominal pain that eventually led to having both my appendix and gallbladder removed.
In 2015, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. Since then, I’ve had multiple excision surgeries and eventually a total hysterectomy due to endometriosis and PCOS.
In 2017, I was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, I’ve failed every medication I’ve tried for it. The one treatment that has helped the most has been lidocaine infusions, and after finally getting cardiac clearance, I’m scheduled to restart them tomorrow. I’m really hoping they provide some relief.
Lately, though, I’ve been struggling with something beyond just the physical pain. Living with pain day after day is exhausting, especially when a flare lasts well beyond a week.
I’d really love to hear from others who understand.
How have you found purpose or meaning while living with chronic pain?
What helps you cope mentally and emotionally during bad flare days?
What do you do when a flare just won’t let up?
How do you keep yourself from feeling discouraged or hopeless during long stretches of pain?
Have you found any non-medication strategies that genuinely make a difference?
If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain for years, what do you wish someone had told you early on?
Any advice, encouragement, or personal experiences would mean so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this. ❤️

Hey everyone,
I (39F) have dabbled in writing since childhood. I’ve had single poems or stories published randomly throughout the years. I’m here to share my work and get your input please.
I took several years away from writing but am slowly getting involved again. Enjoy!
My Name
What is my name?
Great question,
Something I was once ashamed by
Something that parents fell in love with
Something once popular
Something I thought I would change.
Over time, I grew.
I grew in my confidence.
I grew to feel pride.
I grew to know I’m one of a kind.
I hear my name on my fiancé’s tongue.
I hear passion, support and unyielding love.
My name is Stephanie.

EDIT: This is Heavy-Escape’s fiancee, imagine an old stereo. You’re playing music on it, but the speakers aren’t connected. The music is there and active, but with no way to be heard since there are no connected outputs.

Hi everyone! You were all so kind and helpful with my question yesterday, so I hoped I could ask another one.
My fiancé (43M) was diagnosed with AuDHD later in life. One of the things he struggles with most is what he describes as not being able to “get his words out.”
He says he can clearly see or understand exactly what he wants to say in his mind, but when he tries to explain it, it’s like the connection just isn’t there. The same thing happens when he wants to write stories or design something. He has vivid ideas and can picture everything in his head, but turning those thoughts into words or creating them in the real world feels incredibly difficult.
It’s something that causes him a lot of frustration, and I hate seeing him struggle with it.
Does anyone else experience this? If so, what does it feel like for you? Have you found any strategies or tools that help you communicate your thoughts or get your ideas out more easily?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Hi everyone,
My fiancé (43M) and I (39F) have been together for 18 years. For a long time, he’s clearly been struggling with his mental health. In 2014, he experienced a complete mental health breakdown and spent two weeks inpatient, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. However, neither of us ever felt that diagnosis truly fit.
Recently, he underwent a comprehensive psychological evaluation, and it’s now been confirmed that he has both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. In many ways, finally having answers has been a huge relief. It’s helping us understand his behaviors, emotional regulation, and some of the intense reactions and outbursts we’ve struggled with over the years.
At the same time, we’re realizing that we need to completely rethink how we communicate with each other. Misunderstandings seem to escalate quickly, and sometimes conversations become so emotionally intense that I have to step away because I become overwhelmed myself.
I’d really love to hear from people with lived experience—whether you’re autistic, have ADHD, or you’re the partner of someone who does.
What communication strategies have helped your relationship?
How do you handle emotional outbursts or shutdowns without making things worse?
How do you know when to give space versus trying to work through an issue?
Are there any books, podcasts, or other resources that helped you better understand each other?
I love him deeply, and after 18 years together, I want us to learn how to support each other in healthier ways. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading.

Hi everyone,
My fiancé (43M) and I (39F) have been together for 18 years. For a long time, he’s clearly been struggling with his mental health. In 2014, he experienced a complete mental health breakdown and spent two weeks inpatient, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. However, neither of us ever felt that diagnosis truly fit.
Recently, he underwent a comprehensive psychological evaluation, and it’s now been confirmed that he has both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. In many ways, finally having answers has been a huge relief. It’s helping us understand his behaviors, emotional regulation, and some of the intense reactions and outbursts we’ve struggled with over the years.
At the same time, we’re realizing that we need to completely rethink how we communicate with each other. Misunderstandings seem to escalate quickly, and sometimes conversations become so emotionally intense that I have to step away because I become overwhelmed myself.
I’d really love to hear from people with lived experience—whether you’re autistic, have ADHD, or you’re the partner of someone who does.
What communication strategies have helped your relationship?
How do you handle emotional outbursts or shutdowns without making things worse?
How do you know when to give space versus trying to work through an issue?
Are there any books, podcasts, or other resources that helped you better understand each other?
I love him deeply, and after 18 years together, I want us to learn how to support each other in healthier ways. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading.

Hi everyone,
My fiancé (43M) and I (39F) have been together for 18 years. For a long time, he’s clearly been struggling with his mental health. In 2014, he experienced a complete mental health breakdown and spent two weeks inpatient, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. However, neither of us ever felt that diagnosis truly fit.
Recently, he underwent a comprehensive psychological evaluation, and it’s now been confirmed that he has both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. In many ways, finally having answers has been a huge relief. It’s helping us understand his behaviors, emotional regulation, and some of the intense reactions and outbursts we’ve struggled with over the years.
At the same time, we’re realizing that we need to completely rethink how we communicate with each other. Misunderstandings seem to escalate quickly, and sometimes conversations become so emotionally intense that I have to step away because I become overwhelmed myself.
I’d really love to hear from people with lived experience—whether you’re autistic, have ADHD, or you’re the partner of someone who does.
What communication strategies have helped your relationship?
How do you handle emotional outbursts or shutdowns without making things worse?
How do you know when to give space versus trying to work through an issue?
Are there any books, podcasts, or other resources that helped you better understand each other?
I love him deeply, and after 18 years together, I want us to learn how to support each other in healthier ways. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading.