What Do You Wish People Knew About Chronic Pain?

You might not see it, but it's there... oh, it's there.

Having chronic pain takes a real toll on the body, both physically and emotionally.

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It's an invisible problem that only people who have it can understand. And while other people can try, there will always be gaps in the way they perceive its intensity, its physical effects, and the emotional toll it takes to lead a somewhat normal life. Maybe this is you...

Maybe sometimes people tell you that you seem a lot happier (or better), without realizing how hard you're trying hide the pain.

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"But you look so healthy," someone might say, ignoring the fact that you're merely coping with your pain and that you're still extremely exhausted from it. Maybe this is even harder for you because you don't want to depend on medicine for relief.

Maybe there are days where your pain is easier to cope with and days where it's especially bad.

NBC / Via giphy.com

But it's always there, and every day you struggle to ignore it. Maybe you even forgot what it's like to have a day where you're not considering how every decision you make will affect your pain.

Or maybe there have been times when people (and even doctors) didn't believe you when you said your body hurt.

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Thus pushing you to find new friends who didn't make you feel so alone, or a new doctor who actually believed you when you said everything hurt.

We want to hear what it's like living with chronic pain. So tell us via the DropBox below, what do you wish other people knew about it?

No matter how big or small it is, we want to hear everything you have to say — from what the pain is like to how it affects you emotionally to the hardships you face every day because of it. In your comments, try to be as detailed as possible and don't hold back.

Your story might be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Health post.