Narcolepsy Misconceptions
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about narcolepsy?
The biggest misconception I’m dealing with almost daily from my husband-
I’m just being lazy and if i really wanted to fight the need to sleep i can. That i must not really want more in life and I’m okay with settling for what we have now bc i don’t try hard enough to push myself. We were at work one day and he found out another woman also has narcolepsy and when we got home he started to compare how hard she was working and if she could push through the day and bust her butt and i should be able to do so as well! Needless to say i laughed bc i busy my butt every single day, but some day i can do more and some days i just can’t but I continue on until i can no longer do so every single day! There’s times where he even tells me to step back and allow others to do things as well and that i am doing too much, lmao! So it’s like the days where I struggle he forgets all about the other days! 50% of the disagreements we have- even after being together for 18 years, stems from my narcolepsy and how he thinks i use it to benefit me so I can lay around and be lazy! He has never read up about it, he has never listened to me explain things as I learned them, and he tunes it all out!!! He thinks that I enjoy suffering I guess! What mother wants to sleep so much that her kids cry bc we don’t get out enough!? That hurts the worse!!
I'm sorry your husband doesn't seem supportive of your narcolepsy. I have often struggled with comparing my symptoms to others, but it isn't fair to do that to myself. I hope you can find support from your friends and family. Maybe encourage your husband to join you on a narcolepsy support group call (you can find those through Wake Up Narcolepsy). That was a helpful tool for me during the beginning of my diagnosis, and I have heard others say it helped their family/friends see narcolepsy from a different perspective!
Xoxo/Zzz, Gabrielle
Being told things like "I wish I could drop everything and nap during the day" (I had some colleagues say that to me after I explained that I have to nap during my lunch break at school). It's also difficult sometimes when people complain about being tired during the day. I just want to say "honey, you have no idea what it's like to be as tired as me." I have to remind myself that just because I have to live with this doesn't mean other people can't have bad days too.
Xoxo/Zzz, Gabrielle
Can so understand this! It can get so frustrating though because it's as though people will only ever kind of relate to you on their really really bad days but as soon as they're better they forget! Not easy but I definitely agree that we have to keep in mind that everyone has their own problems to deal with and they are valid also. 😀
That it's not a "real illness"...sad but I have heard this from quite a few people.... 🙁 
That the only symptom is falling asleep everywhere, all the time. Often in strange places and positions.
Hi
, thanks for sharing! This is the main misconception that I see. I think TV & media has contributed a lot to this one. Best, Allison (Team Member)