“In your quest to become as healthy as possible, may I suggest that you secure the best team of physicians that you can find; keep abreast of all new research related to your illness; find a yoga or meditation teacher to help you learn to balance and center yourself; explore and examine any and all spiritual issues related to healing (such as forgiveness, anger, letting go, fears, change, etc.); and, perhaps most importantly, do not blame yourself for your illness.”
– Carolyn Myss
Coping with Chronic Illness
Coping with a chronic illness sucks! That needed to be plainly stated.
Whether it is an illness that you have struggled with all of your life or one that is newly acquired, coping with a chronic illness is an arduous journey.
How are you to advocate for your health when you feel awful? How do you move forward from depression, anxiety or fatigue associated with the chronic condition? How do you physically get to a point where you actually want to get out of bed, if the chronic illness is that debilitating? These and so many other questions are valid as you receive advice, are given more medications or tests and learn a new “normal” for your life dealing with a chronic illness.
Where do you start?
Carolyn Myss’ quote is a great place to start.
1. Build your network of healthcare providers and practitioners. Know your team. Be sure you feel comfortable with them.
2. Learn about your illness and its latest research. Sign up for the Facebook support group or, better yet, look for a Meet Up group in your area or other in person support group, possibly affiliated with your local hospital.
3. Find that alternative healing person who can assist you in finding your center. The first place to check is to see if there is an integrative department tied to a hospital system. If not, find a certified practitioner to partner with you and help you tap into your innate healing abilities. (Of course, make sure that they have had significant training – not just a weekend certification program. And do a gut check, if it does not feel right, then it is likely not right for you. Although aggravating, it is better to find another practitioner. Remember some of this is available by phone or Skype.)
4. Explore and examine the larger potential implications of your illness. You will likely want to enlist some help with this endeavor. I encourage you to find someone who you trust and feel that you can be completely open. It might be your alternative healer, a spiritual coach or counselor, a religious officiate or a therapist. Some of the first areas to explore are those outlined above by Carolyn Myss.
5. Remember: You are not to blame for your illness. We sometimes do not know why things happen as they do. There are numerous possibilities for an illness including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, global, environmental and so many more. Compassionately let go of the blame.
Then what?
Even before you get through all of the above steps, it is important to recognize that you do have a new normal entering into your life whose duration is undefined. Regardless of the intensity of your chronic illness, you likely have other dynamics at play including the impact to your work, your personal life and those you love. You do need time to allow for the readjustment happening in all aspects of your life.
This may mean a period of grieving for you and those close to you. Grieving is a typical and even necessary process to deal with your chronic illness. Elizabeth Kubler Ross was the pioneer who recognized that with loss comes grieving. She described five possible stages including: denial; anger; bargaining; depression and acceptance. A person grieving may experience all of these or may experience a few. Whatever you are feeling, simply allow it. If this feels scary, I encourage you to find a compassionate, professional practitioner (Alternative healer, health or spiritual coach, therapist, etc.) to partner through the grieving process.
From here it becomes incremental steps to finding your health and wholeness. Everyone’s journey is very personal to them. It helps to have the support of your professional and informal team as you take each step.
Other resources are available through your healthcare practitioners or you are also welcome to explore additional Four Directions Wellness Healthy & Fit blogs to help begin taking the next step.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tzu