Search Main navigation Intro to CF Managing CF Research & Clinical Trials Support Community Blog News GET INVOLVED DONATE Coping With Comparisons on Social Media When You Have CF When I scroll through my social media accounts, it’s hard not to compare myself to other people and feel like I could have accomplished so much more had it not been for my cystic fibrosis. Instead of getting depressed, I now rely on therapy, positive affirmations, and being kind to myself to preserve my mental health Nov. 12, 2021 | 5 min read Lauren Vignola Social media. It permeates every facet of modern society. There are long lists of the positives and negatives of social media. There are pages that inspire you and some that disgust you. In between those two extremes are profiles that seem – superficially -- relatively innocent. However, it is the wide array of “middle-of-the-pack” social media accounts that tend to have the most direct effect on my mental health in regard to cystic fibrosis. “Middle-of-the-pack” accounts are what typically fill my Instagram and Facebook feeds (as well as TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat) – they are people I know from grade school to college, close and distant relatives, people I have met at different CF and non-CF events, acquaintances, and even a few people I never really liked. I scroll through accomplishments, travel, career advancements, and major life milestones up and down my feed for what seems like an eternity. While I’ve spent the past six years trying to survive cystic fibrosis, everyone else has surpassed me. Sometimes, I think to myself that I am so far behind my peers in every possible way. My life is not supposed to be like this, and I was put on this earth to achieve so much more than what I have. Something that increased these feelings for me was being on Trikafta®. For the first time in probably 10 years, I felt good again. I had energy! I was not coughing once a minute, every minute like clockwork. My lung function went up, my fingers were no longer clubbed, and I was in the hospital less. I am so grateful that Trikafta gave me some of my life back. However, the reality of my particular situation is I cannot go back to work just yet – I am still hospitalized at least three times a year, and I still can’t be as active as I would like to be without becoming extremely exhausted. Now that I have shared a little about my personal experience, think about yours. Whether you are a CF patient; are the parent, sibling, caregiver, or provider to someone with CF; or someone else entirely, think about how social media makes you feel about cystic fibrosis and the accomplishments, small victories, and even failures that come along with it. Have some thoughts flowing? Good! Let me tell you a little bit about how I learned to process my own feelings about this. One of the most important forms of self-care I advocate for is therapy. When I was ready, I organized my thoughts on this topic and brought them to my therapist. I usually do this by handwriting lists to bring in, and I usually get a good laugh from my PsyD! I was able to process a lot of the emotions I was feeling – anger, resentment, jealousy, frustration, shame. I was then able to highlight more victories and accomplishments than I thought I had. I was so focused on everyone else, I lost focus of myself. After that, the two main “strategies” I learned that helped me the most are positive affirmations and being kind to myself. I usually recite my favorite affirmations to myself in my head. Two of my favorites are, “I am doing my best today,” and “I will not worry about things I cannot control.” If I am having a bad day, I’ll write them down in a journal or on Post-it® Notes that I leave in places I will see throughout the day. Being kind to myself is a bit harder. I have overcome many obstacles unique to my CF story, and chances are people who see my social media think that’s pretty awesome. I constantly need to remind myself that even though I might not be where I want to be, I am where I’m supposed to be – that means I am alive, I have worked very hard to get here, and I am proud of that. Interested in sharing your story? The CF Community Blog wants to hear from you. Share this article Topics EMOTIONAL WELLNESS Author Lauren Vignola Adult with CF Lauren, 31, lives in Chicago and enjoys attending live music events, knitting, gardening, and eating all the delicious food her city has to offer. She is a member of the Data Safety Monitoring Board and Community Voice. Lauren served on the University of Washington’s Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Committee and as a coauthor on the publication Guidelines for the Care of Individuals with Advanced Lung Disease. She is an active member of the CF Foundation Greater Illinois Chapter where she fundraises for the Great Strides team Katie’s Smelly Cats and works to spread awareness by engaging with multiple community groups throughout Chicago. She can be found on Instagram. More from Lauren Vignola Recent Community Posts Children With CF and COVID-19 Blog | 5 min read How Finding Other Mothers to Share the Good and Bad of CF Helped Me Blog | 7 min read After a Lung Infection and a Pandemic, I Finally Ran the Boston Marathon Blog | 6 min read You might also be interested in... CFTR MODULATORS | NUTRITION | EMOTIONAL WELLNESS How I Found Acceptance for My Trikafta Weight Gain 7 min read EMOTIONAL WELLNESS | SOCIAL LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS Redefining the Definition of Wellness 5 min read EMOTIONAL WELLNESS Doing Better By Doing Less 4 min read This site contains general information about cystic fibrosis, as well as personal insight from the CF community. Opinions and experiences shared by members of our community, including but not limited to people with CF and their families, belong solely to the blog post author and do not represent those of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, unless explicitly stated. In addition, the site is not intended as a substitute for treatment advice from a medical professional. Consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment. Footer LIFE WITH CF Intro to CF Managing CF Research & Clinical Trials CF COMMUNITY Get Involved Local Chapter Community Blog FOR PROFESSIONALS Researchers Medical Professionals Press ABOUT US About Us News Donate HELP Find a Care Center Get Help Contact Us Sign up for The Foundation's newsletter SIGN UP Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Contact Footer legal Privacy Email Opt Out Terms of Use Disclosures Jump back to top