# 429. The reality of chronic illness in your 20s ft. Nikki Lilly

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly.md
Podcast: [The Psychology of your 20s](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262)
Published: 2026-06-15T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://omny.fm/shows/the-psychology-of-your-20-s/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly
Audio file: https://pdrl.fm/f842d9/podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/bc44988a-a82a-4291-ab8b-afdd01187fa8/7610035b-c7e3-4203-93bf-b46a00bcd2ca/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=39e2f432-53df-43b8-a7b9-afdd01187fc4
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/episodes/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly
Duration seconds: 4331

## Resource

Living with a chronic illness in your 20s can feel like carrying an invisible weight that nobody else can see. Beyond the hospital appointments, surgeries, medications and diagnoses, there is a hidden psychological burden: the anxiety, grief, uncertainty, identity struggles and resilience required to keep moving forward when your body feels beyond your control. In this week's episode, I sit down with content creator, advocate and broadcaster Nikki Lilly to discuss what it's really like growing up with a rare medical condition, navigating facial differences, online bullying, and building a meaningful life despite constant uncertainty. We discuss: The hidden psychological impact of chronic illness  Medical trauma, PTSD and the long road to healing How chronic illness affects your relationship with your body Online bullying, discrimination and appearance-based judgment Plus her time at the Oscars and her vision for her future Happy listening! Watch on Netflix: HERE Listen to Live A Little: HERE Follow Lilly on Instagram: @ nikkililly Follow Jemma on Instagram: @ jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @ thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @ thepsychologyofyour20s For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com   The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/episodes/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/429-the-reality-of-chronic-illness-in-your-20s-ft-nikki-lilly.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.