(Can this pug just become Young and Sick's mascot? Okay, thanks, this is a thing that is happening.) Having both a mental illness and a chronic illness is kind of like this: On your good days, you manage to be okay both mentally and physically. On your worst days, well... you're Leslie Knope falling head first into a pit. (If you haven't seen Parks and Recreation , please do so now.) It can be so frustrating because when you finally have a good day without pain or a good day without anxiety, then your other illness is just waiting in the wings, ready to mess you up. Additionally, both of them play into each other. Was your anxiety caused by your sky-high pain levels, or was your crushing headache caused by the anxiety constricting your lungs and making you worry about everything ? Who really knows? If you're depressed, sometimes you get even more depressed because your joints ache and everything hurts , even your soul. It's a hard thing to battle both your body and