Real Talk

Real Talk

PsA Made Me Question Who I Am

PsA made me question, “Who am I?” but my worth doesn’t change even when my abilities do.

Real Talk

It Happened to Me: A HIPAA Violation

HIPAA should protect your health information. Here's my experience of a HIPAA violation while receiving home healthcare.

Real Talk

Why Being a ‘Good Patient’ Could Be Harmful to Your Health

Good patient syndrome can be a response to trauma. Those of us with chronic illnesses may exhibit people-pleasing behaviors to stay on doctors’ good sides, but that can ultimately endanger our health.

Real Talk

Can Awareness Events Make a Difference? In My Experience of the Walk to Cure Arthritis, Yes

Your Bezzy RA guide, Ashley Boynes-Shuck, shares her experience at the Walk to Cure Arthritis, and why these events make such an impact.

Real Talk

How to Find Control When It Feels Like Your Chronic Illness Makes All the Rules

It can easily feel like chronic illness makes all the rules. Here’s how I found control.

Real Talk

Why Pain Isn’t Always My Priority 

The mental health impact of psoriatic arthritis can have a more significant impact on my quality of life than pain. Here’s what I prioritize more than physical pain.

Real Talk

Figuring Out Life with Multiple Chronic Illnesses: How I Did It

Take it from me, pacing yourself is key.

Real Talk

The Honest Realities of Chronic Illness We Don’t Often Discuss

Here's how I've found ways to share unspoken realities in ways that feel right for me.

Real Talk

10 Ways to Find Support When You Live Alone with Chronic Illness

Living alone with a condition can be challenging, but there are people who want to help.

Real Talk

How Mainstream Brands Are Making Furniture Accessible for All

From beauty to fashion, industries have begun to make their products more inclusive. But what about furniture?

Real Talk

Living With Chronic Itchiness

Living with chronic itchiness can be a struggle. These are the ways my scalp psoriasis affects my everyday life.

Real Talk

How to Adapt to Life with an Incurable Condition

When we accept the painful parts of life, it can become more beautiful.

Real Talk

How to Communicate What Matters in Your Life to Your Doctor

Navigating conversations with your doctor can be an intimidating experience. These tips can help you take the lead on how to talk with your doctor about the things that matter most to you.

Real Talk

Mental Health Professionals Share How to Recognize and Defend Yourself Against Medical Gaslighting

These tips will help you recognize and defend yourself against medical gaslighting.

Real Talk

5 Promises I Made to Myself and How They’ve Changed

Some promises helped, but most had to change for me to live well with rheumatoid arthritis. Here's why and what they mean to me now.

Real Talk

How to Respond to Chronic Illness Comments During the Holidays

These funny or serious responses can help combat well-intentioned yet sometimes misguided comments.

Real Talk

My Disability Parking Placard Symbolized Everything I Couldn’t Do

For a long time, I felt judged for using it with my invisible disability. Then I realized not using it was limiting me even more than my MS was doing on its own.

Real Talk

The Truth About Chronic Illness and Fatigue

Fatigue is common in those living with chronic illnesses. But this symptom is often treated as an afterthought. Here's what you should know and what might help.

Real Talk

Am I Disabled Enough to Call Myself Disabled?

It took me more than a decade to call myself disabled. Here's why I take pride in the label.

Real Talk

What Twitter’s Downfall Means for Chronic Condition Communities

The chronic condition community on Twitter has changed my life. I'm worried about what will happen without it.

Real Talk

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Navigating Pregnancy and New Motherhood with PsA

Jenny Durand shares her experience navigating pregnancy and motherhood with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Real Talk

Unhidden’s Founder Talks About Creating Clothes for Every Body

Providing dignity and identity to those living with disabilities is at the core of Unhidden's mission. Learn more about this adaptive clothing brand that featured at London Fashion Week.

Real Talk

Feeling Unseen and Unheard: Is This Medical Gaslighting or Something Else?

Not feeling fully supported in healthcare settings can be common. It's important to know why you might be feeling this way — whether from medical gaslighting or from limited medical resources — and what you can do about it.

Real Talk

Effie Koliopoulos and Her New Book, ‘Keeping It Real with Arthritis: Stories from Around the World’

When Effie received a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, there were few resources that helped her understand the true realities of the condition. Her new book features 119 individual stories from people living with arthritis so that people can feel seen.

Real Talk

How Advocacy Keeps Me Well, Even When I’m Not

Patient advocacy work gives me an outlet to help others living with psoriatic arthritis. But I've found that it helps me, too.

Real Talk

Am I Oversharing? 8 Tips for Navigating Social Media with a Chronic Illness

There are no perfect answers for how much to share and how much to hold back, but there are guidelines that might help you determine the right approach for you.

Real Talk

What It’s Like Being Chronically Ill in the Time of Wellness

Unsolicited medical advice is exhausting — and sometimes even plain rude. The wellness industry needs to wake up to the realities of living with a chronic illness.

Real Talk

How Chronic Illness Affects More Than Just Your Physical Health

The nonphysical effects of living with a chronic condition are often ignored or underestimated. We need to change that. These are nine ways that living with a chronic condition has affected my life and strategies I've found to help me cope.

Real Talk

Ableist Language in Pop Culture and How It Affects People with Chronic Illness

Ableism and ableist language are all too common, especially in pop culture. Learn how to recognize this language and ways to be more mindful of the words you choose.

Real Talk

I Have a Chronic Condition. Here’s Why I Hate New Year’s Resolutions

The unpredictability of living with a chronic condition can make it hard to stick with your plans. One writer shares why this year, she's saving herself the pressure and avoiding unrealistic resolutions.

Real Talk

9 Ways Acute Illness Is Thought Of Differently Than Chronic Illness 

Living with chronic illness has made me aware of the many ways that society views chronic illness differently than they view acute illness.

Real Talk

Talking with Friends About Money Can Be Awkward When Your Condition Limits How Much You Work

Being asked to chip in for food or gifts can be stressful, especially if a chronic illness restricts the hours you can work. These tips can help navigate awkward conversations with friends.

Real Talk

Self-Love and Body Image with Arthritis

Chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis can affect much of your life, but they do not get to steal your confidence. You deserve to feel beautiful and celebrate the body you are in. It may not always be easy, but it is worth the work.

Real Talk

How I Explain My Pain to People Who Don’t “Get It”

Pain is different for everyone. The same type of pain may affect different people differently, which complicates how to talk about it with others. 

Real Talk

The Way We Treat the Undiagnosed Needs to Change

Being undiagnosed is an under-acknowledged stage of living with chronic physical or mental symptoms.

Real Talk

5 Lessons from the Pandemic That Promote Inclusivity

We can continue to learn from the pandemic and encourage inclusivity in our everyday practices.

Real Talk

My Journey to Becoming a Chronic Illness Advocate on Social Media

Writer Nia G. discusses her journey to becoming a social media advocate after her chronic illness diagnoses.

Real Talk

What the Overturning of Roe v. Wade Means for the Chronically Ill and Disabled Communities

The court’s decision affects all Americans, but disabled, chronically ill, and disadvantaged people will be disproportionately affected. They face healthcare inequities, poverty, and more.

Real Talk

Don’t Take Away My Methotrexate! How Roe v. Wade Has Changed Vital Medication Access

Overturning Roe v. Wade has far-reaching consequences for many communities — including access to needed medication like methotrexate.

Real Talk

Recognizing Signs of Medical Trauma When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Medical trauma is real but sometimes it can be hard to recognize. If you live with a chronic condition it is especially important to be aware of how traumatic medical scenarios can have lasting effects. If you have experienced medical trauma, it is important to know you are not alone.

Real Talk

What I’ve Learned About Self-Advocacy When Living with a Chronic Condition

When living with a chronic condition or disability, finding and using your voice is a must.

Real Talk

Dear Newly Diagnosed Self...

5 things PsA Bezzy community members wish they had known when they were first diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.

Real Talk

I’m in Remission from Rheumatoid Arthritis — Why Do I Feel So Guilty About It?

Finding out I was in remission from RA was a happy moment, but I felt guilty. Years later, I still haven’t completely moved away from that emotion.

Real Talk

6 Things You Should Never Say to Someone with Arthritis

As someone who's had arthritis for 8 years, I can tell you there are some things you should never say to someone living with arthritis.

Real Talk

We Need to Talk About Ableism and COVID-19

The issues that disabled and chronic condition communities face as a result of the pandemic are being ignored too easily.

Real Talk

How I’m Making Peace with the Never-Ending Pandemic

Those of us living with a chronic condition are used to navigating an unknown future.

Real Talk

What I Learned About Chronic Illness Coaches While Seeking Support for a New Diagnosis

Being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease left me feeling overwhelmed and alone. It was challenging to find the social and emotional support I needed.

Real Talk

Medical Gaslighting Is Real, and It May Have Happened to You

A patient’s word should be believed. You shouldn't need to fight to advocate for your health when you're feeling your worst.

Real Talk

My Journey Through Gaslighting and Misdiagnoses with Psoriatic Arthritis

The psoriatic arthritis was there all along, but no one was seeing the full picture. I was being treated joint by joint, pain by pain, rather than as a whole person.

Real Talk

How I Balance Advocacy and Privacy Living with a Chronic Condition

Some days, sharing about my life with MS feels useful and authentic. Other times, I'd rather keep the details to myself.

Real Talk

A Flare Does Not Mean You’ve Done Something “Wrong”

When you live with chronic pain, you can’t stop the weather, but you can learn to adjust your sails.

Real Talk

The Challenges I’ve Faced Trying to Manage My Weight with Psoriatic Arthritis

It's hard to do everything you know you "should" be doing when symptoms like pain and fatigue keep getting in the way.

Real Talk

Living with Undiagnosed Chronic Pain Is Hard, But Please Don’t Give Up

When you live with undiagnosed pain, self-advocacy, hope, and resilience are key.

Real Talk

#FreeBritney: Tabloid Fodder or Disability Rights Issue?

Britney Spears’ legal battle sheds light on ableism and guardianship abuse.

Real Talk

10 Things You Only Understand If You Live with Psoriatic Arthritis

Here is the good, the bad, and all the little, laughable things in between that come with a PsA diagnosis.

Real Talk

How to Rebuild Trust with Doctors After a Misdiagnosis

When it comes to living with a chronic condition, the doctor-patient relationship will be one of the most important connections you ever build.

Real Talk

Your Productivity Doesn’t Determine Your Worth. Here’s How to Let That Sink In

Despite what our culture may lead you to believe, you are so much more than a to-do list.

Real Talk

Dear Able-Bodied Folks: Your COVID-19 Fear Is My Year-Round Reality

As COVID-19 invades our communities, able-bodied people are experiencing the same kind of fear that millions of people who live with compromised immune systems face all the time.