Cosmopolitan: "Instagram paints my life as perfect – but what you can’t see is my invisible illness"

Andy · Jun 26, 2018

Social media has always been a lifeline for me – some days it’s a haven of pretty pictures to escape to, other days it’s my only connection to the outside world.

If you came across my Instagram feed, you’d think my life was pretty perfect. You’d find your classic bottomless brunching fairy-tale – a grid full of snaps of the South of France, and my friends and I making our way through London’s cocktail menus.

Something that invisible illnesses and social media have in common is that the glossy exterior makes everything look peachy, even when it isn’t.

I was 11 when I was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). I went from being social and sporty to being completely bed bound for a year – One Tree Hill boxsets were the only thing that kept me sane.

I don’t remember what it feels like to not have a headache, or pains throughout my whole body. Everyday things like getting ready and washing my hair are embarrassingly hard for someone as young as I am. A bit like a hangover, however much I do the day before, I have to suffer through for the next few days - sometimes weeks - thanks to crippling fatigue.
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https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/bod...ss-chronic-fatigue-me-instagram-social-media/

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Cosmopolitan: "Instagram paints my life as perfect – but what you can’t see is my invisible illness"

Andy Committee Member

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Cosmopolitan: "Instagram paints my life as perfect – but what you can’t see is my invisible illness"

Andy Committee Member

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