How do you cope with the isolation and loneliness that comes with chronic pain, especially when everyone around you is thriving?

I'm (30F) not new to chronic pain. I've been dealing with it for about 15 years. But as it’s worsened, I’ve found myself feeling more and more alone. For a long time, I was still able to balance being sick with being a functioning human — I had friends, I could show up sometimes, and I felt like I had some semblance of community.

Lately, though, I’m mostly bedbound. Fatigue, nausea, pelvic pain, migraines, sciatica… ya know, classic endometriosis stuff. I keep up with people through social media and texting when I can, but it’s not the same. I find myself grieving how different I am from the people closest to me. All my friends are active, energetic, thin... Truly, they are in their prime of their lives, equipped with disposable income and bodies that "work".

And while they are supportive, every canceled pre-planned hangout chips away at me. It’s hard not to feel like I’m fading into the background.

Most days, all I want is someone to text me for more than 10 mins, just to feel some kind of connection — that’s all I can manage lately. This is incredibly sad to admit, but it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to wake up from my dreams, because they’re the only place I get to feel close to others, real or imagined. 🥲

If you’ve been through this, or are in it now, how do you deal with the loneliness and sense of disconnection when your body keeps you from living the way others do?