Other People’s Opinions Don’t Matter

I think one of the biggest issues we face as people with food allergies, is the amount of judgment we receive. A personal example in my life is that people stared at me when I brought my own food to a birthday party or family event. When I was younger, that made me feel ashamed and I didn’t want to show the others that my food was any different than theirs. I wanted to fit in. Then obviously when I got older, I wasn’t very bothered by it but it was definitely a struggle when I was little. I think what helped was my brother’s company through it all because he had food allergies as well! Throughout my journey, I am not always the one who was judged. My mom was constantly told that she was being overdramatic about our food allergies. Sometimes, we wouldn’t even get invited to parties or restaurant gatherings just because we couldn’t eat any of the food. Or, at certain functions, people would say “oh, you can eat this there’s nothing in it”. Little did they know that even a little slip up could threaten our lives. But, all this excluding and insensitive behavior only made us stronger. Other people’s opinions and actions, shouldn’t change the way that we are trying to keep ourselves safe. They do not understand the severity of this condition, which is another reason I started FAY. If you are struggling with this, just know that you have to take care of yourself, and please don’t let other people get in the way of that by any means. Always remember to keep your head up, you got this and we’re in this together!