A lot of people are tired but often because they don't have a sleep schedule or they pull all nighters and take poor care of their sleep health. People try to relate their experience since "theyre tired too" which was one of the reasons I didn't talk to my doctor about it for so long. I thought everyone was this tired. I finally sought help and for a while I was so frustrated that others discredited me for so long just because I got 8 hours of sleep and they "only got 4". Even after diagnosis, sometimes I'll just say I'm tired and suddenly it's a competition of who is the most tired even with people that know I have narcolepsy. If that happens, I calmly remind them that I physically no matter what cannot stay awake sometimes. Usually it shuts them up. Luckily some people are understanding. I feel your pain.

i joke at least the anger keeps me awake since nothing else does haha, being misunderstood or told by others how YOUR condition is/acts is one of the most frustrating parts of this !

I learned through my journey that people are more hurtful when it comes to invisible illnesses. I no longer care what anyone thinks. I just changed MY way of thinking and before I ever judge someone I stop and think to myself ’I haven’t walked in their shoes.’ I no longer ASSume anything.

It's a common thing, the "tired competition" which, i am quite tired of myself... I shouldn't have to explain that they don't understand what tired even means, generally for me, when I'm like "i fall asleep standing straight up walking around" or "i fall asleep driving" that makes them see I'm a different kind of tired than they are. I'll be grateful when Narcolepsy isn't so obscure and people start understanding what it's really like living with this invisible yet horrible disease.

This happened to me at the beginning with my friends ans family. I would get frustrared explaining the illness and their reaction was like maybe you just need to sleep more. As much as I explain they do play the tired game. I dont even tell amyone anymore unless I absolutely have to. Most people think its epilepsy and when I say Narcolepsy, I always hear the same answer, "what is that?"