will they take my pain seriously?

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... on this episode, nikki is talking about something she has never admitted out loud before: sometimes she feels the need to exaggerate her pain so that people believe her. nikki opens up about the "how are you feeling?" and "what's your pain out of ten?" questions that have haunted her entire life - especially in hospital settings. but these numbers have never been simple for her.... nikki has learned early that people respond differently to those numbers. a six sounds manageable. a ten gets taken seriously. so she learned to reach for severity to be seen, heard, and cared for. she talks about the therapy she's going through to work through her complex PTSD, the loneliness of chronic illness and needing to "sit" through her situation. nikki talks about feeling like a broken limb versus a paper cut - always having to be the broken limb to be prioritized. but here's what she's learning: validation and attention should be the same whether she's a six or a ten. honesty doesn't erase pain. if you've ever exaggerated your pain to be heard, felt invisible because your struggles aren't "bad enough," resented people for being able to leave what you can't escape, or felt like you had to perform your suffering to matter... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices