I need advice please on whether it’s best to ignore comments like this or address them.
A relative was complaining about leg pain they had off and on all day the other day which I sympathised with and was told “wait until you get to my age!”
I’m half their age. I’ve had a chronic pain condition for over a decade now which I’ve briefly mentioned to them. I’m in constant pain every day but it’s not something I’m going to go on about otherwise I’d be labelled a chronic complainer. This relative has more energy than any person I’ve ever known, so the only time I’ve ever mentioned it is to explain how I can’t keep up with/do things as quickly as them.
Usually I wouldn’t let comments like this get to me but for some reason it has been bothering me since. It was the dismissive, patronising tone. As if I’d never known pain in my life. I’d love to just have a random pain that disappears and be back to normal. It doesn’t mean I’m going to start lecturing people on how they don’t know suffering unless they have my illness.