Living With Chronic Illness
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." ~Helen Keller~
People living with chronic illnesses face unique, frustrating and often debilitating challenges that can cause additional mental and emotional difficulties. Chronic illness sometimes has no name. And even if it does, symptoms may not fit into a perfect category. You may be diagnosed with MS or RA but then there's the complicated addition of symptoms of other autoimmune or unnamed disorders. Sometimes just coping with the side effects of treatments can be as challenging as coping with symptoms.
Life can be scary: The uncertainty associated with a chronic illness can be terrifying. While the condition may be sporadic, lasting only a short time. It could be permanent, possibly gradually worsening over time.
Then there is the invisibility of disability. When you are able to "function" and "you look good" the reality of the effort it took to get there may remain unseen to others.
What have you had to give up because you didn't have enough energy or stamina to engage in activities you used to love? Or do you miss visiting with friends and family because you are so exhausted from getting through your week?
Coping with the challenges of living with chronic illness takes a whole toolbox full of tools. Some of these are letting go of blame, separating yourself from your illness, understanding and accepting limitations and managing your energy budget to maximize the quality of your life. But you don't need to do this alone. I can help you build the emotional resilience necessary to navigate the challenges of chronic illness.