You Don’t Have to Be an Advocate
Why It’s Okay To Prioritize Your Healing Over Advocacy
When I first started Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) over a decade ago now, I felt like my entire life was upended and flipped upside down. I knew it would be difficult and painful, but the suffering, isolation, and seemingly endless battle with my body ended up being more than I thought I could handle.
On top of that, from day one, I felt a weight on my shoulders, and it’s a weight I continue to feel to this day in many ways. It’s been an inner conflict for some time now, one I am continuing to work through and process. And that weight was the feeling of pressure and responsibility to raise awareness, to speak out, to advocate for others.
It’s pretty obvious and understandable where this comes from, considering TSW is not widely popular or accepted, and extremely misunderstood. It’s dismissed by doctors, ignored by the medical system, and unknown to most of the public. Those of us who experience it firsthand often feel like we’re the only ones who truly understand. And that inspires some to educate and advocate—and that’s a beautiful thing. It certainly did for me for a large part of my journey.
But here’s the thing, and I want you to hear this loud and clear: You don’t have to be an advocate.
You are not obligated to educate others, raise awareness, or fight for change while you’re just trying to survive and heal. In fact, you’re not obligated at all.
TSW takes everything from us, and it’s okay if your focus is only on yourself and your healing. That doesn’t make you selfish or “weak”; it makes you human.
Advocacy isn’t for everyone, and it looks different for each individual. Some people feel called to share their stories, others prefer to keep their journey private, and that’s just as valid. Choosing to prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical well-being over public advocacy is not a failure—it’s wisdom.
You don’t owe the world your pain.
It’s enough to just survive this.
It’s enough to take care of yourself.
It’s enough to heal in your own way, in your own time.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
If you’re someone who feels guilty for not “doing more” to spread awareness about TSW, I want to offer you permission—permission to let all that guilt go. You’re not responsible for fixing the system that failed you. Healing yourself is more than enough. Just doing that, being YOU and living YOUR life after TSW, is advocacy in itself. After all, what better way to share a message with the world than to embody it fully? To live it?
And if someday you feel ready to share your story more publicly or join the fight in a bigger way, that’s great. But if you don’t, that’s great too. Healing is a personal journey, and there’s no right or wrong way to move through it.
You are enough, just as you are, whether the world knows your story or not.
