🏥 What it means to have grown up with chronic illness or disability in the family
Looking back, your childhood ended early.
While your friends played, you were managing your parents' problems—parents who depended on you emotionally, physically, or both. You became alarmingly good at caregiving, a skill born from necessity that now makes others marvel, "How are you so responsible?" As a child, you learned to be self-sufficient early, handling responsibilities that other children your age never had to think about.
Family crisis turned you into a mini-adult long before your time. Vulnerability became dangerous when your family couldn't afford for you to have needs. You built an impressive fortress of self-reliance, learning that receiving care feels dangerous—a luxury your family couldn't afford, so you never learned how to accept it.