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Learning to step away
As a person with chronic illness, the internet is a place I can turn for support, information, and community. As someone with CF in particular, the internet is a place to form and maintain friendships that are not safe for me to have in “real life.” (We’ve been social distancing since long before it was the cool thing to do.)
But I’m currently in a fight with the internet, or more specifically, a huge percentage of the people who exist there. Politics, coronavirus, and The Great Mask Debate have brought to light many perspectives I genuinely didn’t know existed. Even friends and family members have shown colors that, quite frankly, are horrifying to me. I’ve been hurt, upset, deeply saddened, and enraged by so much of what I’ve seen. The discourse taking place is far from productive.
How do you know when to step away? The online CF community brings so much joy and fulfillment, yet the negativity and constant debate about the value of human lives is draining. My mental health is suffering.
How are you balancing the need for connection with the need to protect your mental health? When do you know it’s time to step away? Can we maintain the good and productive relationships while silencing the negativity online?
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