Since I was a kid, I have been force fed a harmful narrative about health. Adults around me claimed that everyone is healthy, if you get sick you just grit your teeth and work to get better - they made me believe that doing that actually cures anything.

Anything and Everything.

But that's not true. Chronic illnesses are called chronic for a reason. Disabilities don't just disappear with toxic positivity. Comparing yourself to others and assuming that "they have it just as hard" does not stop what ever is ailing you - because chances are THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE.

Thanks to all of that endless poisonous reinforcement of health denial, I internalized it. I became very ableist not only towards myself but also others. I really believed that one could chug vitamins, exercise, eat right and be just fine.

Guess who had to learn the truth the hard way? I did.

I ran myself into a ditch, hammered my head with "positive reinforcements", and tried every single thing under the sun trying to feel better because every time I asked, BEGGED, for help - I got more of the same. "Lose weight", "You aren't trying hard enough", "you are lazy", "nobody is that tired, "have you done hot yoga yet?"

This. Has. To. Stop.

Adults HAVE TO STOP saying these things to kids. If you do this to your child, it is VIOLENCE. It is ABUSE. It is actively harming the child and making them think they are INSANE. They might get additional comorbidit illnesses like DEPRESSION, ANXIETY...and they might not make it to my age.

I'm 28. I'm one of the lucky ones.
I'm here today, able to talk about Idiopathic Hypersomnia.

Out there right now are kids with IH, but because their disorder is so rare - nobody listens to them.

We need to stop being ableist towards ourselves, and others. We NEED TO stop it.
And as a community - we need to spread awareness and talk about IH.

If not for us, then for the future generations.