Quotes you can relate to on a personal level.
By Meaghan Summers — Written on Apr 14, 2019
It's easy to feel alone when you're suffering from chronic migraines or another chronic health condition. Often, you're going to doctor appointment after doctor appointment only to be told that there's still no cure for your disease. You'll have to keep suffering and managing your symptoms as best as you can.
But you're never alone. In fact, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 14.2 percent of all adults (ages 18 and older) reported having a migraine in 2012, and that number has increased with estimates reaching 18 percent in more recent years. This means that millions of Americans struggle with some of the same problems that you may face as someone with a chronic illness.
Relating to someone's struggles is a great way to connect and feel validated, so it's important to remember that there's always someone in the world who can understand at least a portion of what you're going through. And quotes and memes can be effective means of relating to one another via the internet.
Whenever you're feeling lonely or depressed because of your chronic illness, remember that listening to others' experiences — and sharing your experiences with others — can improve your mood.
Whether you're looking for reassurance that everything will work out in the end, a good laugh to help you forget your pain or an excuse to wallow in self-pity for a while (yes, it's OK sometimes), these 15 relatable quotes for people with chronic illness are perfect for you. They won't make the pain go away or force your doctor to actually listen to you when you tell them you hurt EVERYWHERE, but they might make life a bit more bearable.
1. When you need a break.
"Resting is not laziness, it’s medicine!” — Glenn Schweitzer
2. When you celebrate the little things.
"If opening your eyes, or getting out of bed, or holding a spoon, or combing your hair is the daunting Mount Everest you climb today, that is okay.” — Carmen Ambrosio
3. When you know you're stronger for being sick.
“We are stronger in the places we have been broken.” — Ernest Hemingway
4. When you just have to accept your diagnosis.
“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” — Timber Hawkeye
5. When you know that life can be as bad as your migraine.
"Love is a universal migraine. A bright stain on the vision blotting out reason." — Robert Graves
6. When you're surprised you're still alive.
"That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing." — Joan Didion
7. When you know that life is just showing you how strong you can be.
“A woman is like a tea bag: You never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
8. When you should be relaxing.
"The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” ― Sydney J. Harris
9. When you realize how courageous you really are.
“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” ― Tori Amos
10. When you're covered in Light.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi
11. When you feel misunderstood.
“People who don't see you every day have a hard time understanding how on some days--good days--you can run three miles, but can barely walk across the parking lot on other days,' [my mom] said quietly.” ― Jennifer Starzec, Determination
12. When someone tries to tell you how you feel.
“When you have an invisible disease, your sickness isn’t your biggest problem. What you end up battling more than anything else, every single day, is other people.” ― Heidi Cullinan, Carry the Ocean
13. When you have a right to feel sad.
“It is a perfectly normal side-effect for someone to have depression because he cannot move or function in his job. That is all that it is: a side-effect. Those with disabilities and debilitating illnesses probably have more to get depressed about than others.” — Dominic Hubbard
14. When you can't remember a day when you felt "normal."
“If I only could explain how much I miss that precious moment when I was free from the shackles of chronic pain.” — J.J.Toivonen
15. When you know your battle is just beginning.
“I fight for my health every day in ways that most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior!" — Unknown
If you're searching for the best quotes and memes to share with the people you love (or just want to feel inspired yourself) ... look no further! From the sweetest love quotes, inspirational sayings, and hilarious friendship truths, we've got you covered.
Meaghan Summers is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.