It’s easy to get down when you’re experiencing persistent pain: we wonder if we’ll ever feel better, and we feel alone and disconnected from the world. At its best, social media serves to connect us and inspire us, but sometimes it only makes us feel worse: we may feel jealous as we scroll through the highlights reels of our friends’ lives. We may find a community of people living experiences similar to ours, but the community gets bogged down in venting and self-pity. Some social media accounts are meant to be inspirational, but they come off as overly simple or positive to the point of denying the difficulty of reality.
Below we share our favorite Instagram accounts to follow if you want to be inspired by people who have walked the walk. Each of these accounts belongs to a person who lives or has lived with chronic pain or chronic illness, and each of them is committed to using their account to uplift their followers while being honest, as well as give practical tips for moving through life when you have pain.
1. @ms_is_my_superpower
Why We Love This Account
Katie has lived with multiple sclerosis for 18 years, and she is a major advocate for resting and smiling.She is honest about the reality of life with MS, and she shows how life can be a joyful adventure at the same time. She is simply a delight, and her posts are sure to brighten your feed.
2. @mytmsjourney
Why We Love This Account
After 3 years of debilitating back pain, Dani learned about the mind-body connection and pain science. Today she is completely pain-free and has dedicated her life to helping others along their pain journeys. Her posts are insightful and a great reminder of what’s true about pain and ourselves.
3. @thepelvicpaincoach
Why We Love This Account
Rachel is a Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic health, but her captions read less medical and more human. Having experienced the healing of her own pelvic pain, her posts will make you feel seen, as well as help you see life beyond your pain and a way forward.
4. @movementwithmigraine
Why We Love This Account
Emily is an exercise physiologist who uses her Instagram account to help people bring movement and exercise back into their lives. As a mother and a person living with chronic migraine pain, she is relatable and her advice for exercise is spot-on. In addition to being down-to-earth and practical, we love her account because she reminds us to celebrate wins big and small.
5. @thefibronomad
Why We Love This Account
When it comes to enjoying life in the midst of pain, Kara is showing us how it’s done. Her account gives helpful tips for traveling while living with pain, reminds us to find the beauty where we are, and that seeking out beauty is well worth the effort.
What do you think? Are there any AMAZING accounts of inspirational people we missed? Please share in the comments, because we’d love to surround our digital selves with even more uplifting and helpful content!