Being Told I'd Never Be Loved Because of My Illnesses

“No one will love you because of your illnesses.” ⠀ In my opinion, abuse comes in many forms, but one of the worst kinds of abuse is the abuse that you disregard; The hurtful words that you start to believe yourself.⠀ I remember the overwhelming despair, sadness, and belief that these words said to me were true. These constant comments truly affected my future relationships and made me believe I didn't deserve something better. I lacked confidence, I saw my illnesses as a crutch, and I constantly had the lingering thought, “illnesses aren’t attractive. No one will ever love me.” ⠀ While I did not show this abuse on my body, this abuse dug deeper than anything that had ever been said to me before. ⠀ It took me years of self-reflection and better treatment to acknowledge that I had been emotionally abused in my life. More importantly, it took me even longer to admit that it wasn't my fault. I was the one who believed these words but these words should have never been said to me in the first place.⠀ If you’ve ever been made to feel lesser in a relationship, friendship, or anything else, I encourage you to reflect on the situation and think about how it’s affected the rest of your life. Your illnesses do not define you and no one from your past should ever have power over your life. That power belongs to you.