I kept calling it tiredness because that sounded less frightening

Dear Delyara, I minimized my own symptoms for too long because “I’m just tired” sounded safer than the truth. Tiredness is socially acceptable. Pain is inconvenient. Needing help is something I still struggle to permit myself before the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. I think many of us are raised to admire endurance more than self-attention. I’m trying to unlearn that.