Does advocating for yourself stress you out?

[Paula-38]

Hi all,

I don't know how to word this, but I'm prone to stress and I find advocating for myself extremely stressful when I'm not listened to and/or understood by my doctors surgery, trying to explain everything about the fact that nobody is allowed in and I can't go to se them because of my profound refractory OCD which is a disability officially and I'm housebound with it. They said, no you're not disabled or housebound because you can walk, and to be officially down as disabled and/or housebound you'd have a physical disability that we can see. We can see you don't look disabled and housebound.

This really makes my blood boil, because I don't know how to put it over to them, and even when I do, they either ignore me, or don't understand what I'm saying and/or why I'm saying it.

Do you have anything similar?

My dad thinks that I can't talk, but that's entirely different. He also thinks I'm not assertive when I'm stressed out, but being assertive and not being listened to or understood doesn't get me anywhere it causes me significant distress and panic attacks, then I don't get my needs met.

Do you have any coping strategies/advice for when you are in a similar situation?

[Wygella]

I’m so so sorry that you have to suffer this as well as everything else you are coping with. I don’t have that issue if communicating. But I know I have to fully focus on every word and not lose concentration then check what they’ve said and write it down. I hope they will listen to you.