The Bed Perspective

The Bed Perspective

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Chronic illness life

This thing doctors say still triggers me
I know that he meant to calm me down with his words, but it had the exact opposite effect. Once again, my pain was invalidated.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
49
Facing relapse and the dread of ‘emptinitis’
Emptinitis is what I have dubbed that eerie feeling of being empty inside, like a washcloth wrung too tight, not a drip escaping from it.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
21
Chronic illness burnout is real and we need more research
There is a lot of research about burnout among doctors and health care workers but not a lot about burnout in patients living with a chronic illness.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
35
“Don’t let illness define you,” they say. But this could be problematic.
We are often told to not let illness define us. But is this always possible?
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
46
Dealing with chronic illness isolation by becoming my best friend
Isolation due to chronic illness is incredibly traumatic and soul-wrenching. I deal with it by becoming my own best friend. Here are my practices.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
24
What it’s like to live with severe ME
I have lived with ME (also known as ME/CFS) for over twelve years now. In 2017 it turned severe. Here’s what it’s like.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
34
How my dreams are shaped by chronic illness
Chronic illness has changed the shape of my dreams entirely, both because of the traumatic event as well as neuroinflammation.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
7
To hope or not to hope when living with chronic illness
For some, hope is vital to get through the days, while for others it’s a drug that prevents presence. Neither is right or wrong.
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Madelleine Müller (she/her)
17
Dear Able Bodied People: Why "I Know How You Feel" Hurts More Than It Helps
It can be difficult for an able bodied person to know what to say to someone living with chronic illness. You want to show empathy, but “I know how you…
 • 
Madelleine Müller (she/her)
5
© 2025 Madelleine Muller
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