No matter what someone is recovering from, their healing journey looks different from others, and that’s valid.
The truth is, healing is real. It’s vulnerable, gritty, and goes against all expectations.
I’ve experienced various post-operation situations where I didn’t like myself because I felt so limited. Whether I got a hernia removed at 7 years old or my wisdom teeth pulled out in high school, I faced unrelenting pain.
The weeks post-surgery were the worst. I couldn’t leave my house because my stitches would tear or my swelling turned me into a walking balloon, bruises lining my jaw. I couldn’t eat the food I wanted–my stomach still felt iffy, or my gums had literal holes in them. And I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror; what if someone unrecognizable stared back at me?
Pain broke me down until I cried, the walls of my house grown too familiar. I spent the majority of my bed rest scrolling through my phone. It felt like my life moved in slow motion while everyone else around me could still move.
To this day, I can’t imagine what I would’ve done without the light at the end of the tunnel during my healing journeys. But that is the case for some. Certain illnesses, of disease and chronic proportions, stubbornly stick around to make the body miserable.
Social media’s perception of a healing journey only worsens things.
Influencers on Instagram glamorize any manner of recovery. They post when they feel their best, downplaying any personal hardships, which results in a healing journey that looks twisted by camera angles and filters.
Because of this, people are scared to share their imperfect healing journey. They worry that their recovery doesn’t look “Instagram-worthy”, assuming the public will judge them. People think that the public would prefer to hear a fake, glamorized story rather than an authentic one.
But that’s far from actuality.
In reality, an Instagram-worthy recovery doesn’t prove anything. When you proudly own your battle with illness and unveil your struggles, you create a community where it’s okay not to be okay.
And that emphasizes how no one is alone.
Of course, this doesn’t minimize the impact that social media platforms have on our society, our faces glued to a screen more often than not. However, it does highlight the importance of banding together during times of need. Even the smallest act of kindness can change a person’s life for the better. Anxiety or worry shouldn’t prevent you from exploring the support that others can give.
Whether you’re in a state of recovery or a friend of yours is, don’t forget that you can lean on someone else’s shoulder–even if you just need to cry. Your healing journey is worth being heard–and not a single soul can convince you otherwise.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
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Healing, to me, is about authenticity and progress rather than appearances. I’ve learned that true growth often comes physical therapy Long Beach through quiet, messy, and vulnerable moments. What matters is consistency and self-compassion, not perfection. I value the reminder that healing is deeply personal, and every small step forward deserves recognition.