7 Reasons Why You Will Cope with Chronic Illness

Discovering that you have a chronic illness can be a hard pill to swallow. Initially, it is hard to predict what the future is going to hold for you. As well as wondering if you are ever going to get close to your previous physical abilities, there is also the emotional turbulence to deal with. However, the good news is that you will probably cope.

Of course, much will depend upon factors such as illness severity, family support, affordability of healthcare, access to transport and financial security. However, we are resilient creatures and usually return to the contentment levels we were at before falling ill. How many times have you seen someone you know experience a life challenging event and eventually revert to normal levels of happiness after a period of sadness?

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as Hedonic Adaptation. It’s a term which is commonly used to summarise how people experience an initial boost of excitement after a positive life event, only to return to their normative baseline of happiness later. Common examples include getting a job promotion or buying a new car. The same has also been said about negative life events, which include falling ill. So now that you know that there is a good chance that you may end up as happy as you were before your chronic illness, let’s look at some of the factors which may contribute to this. Here are seven of them:

 1. Sensemaking

Humans are adaptable. Even when we struggle to come to terms with new challenges, we find ways to think them over, talk about them and get our heads around them. We are existential beings and our ability to make sense of dilemmas is second to none.

2. New Ways of Coping

Necessity is the mother of invention and when we are faced with new handicaps we are forced to adapt. We often see this in people who experience an improvement in one sense, after losing the use of another one. You may have lost some strength or energy, but don’t underestimate your ability to find other ways to compensate for that.

3. The People in Your Life May Become More Supportive

Adversity often brings people together. Something as adverse as chronic illness can often have a rallying effect on close family and friends. If you are lucky enough to have either, then you will probably notice an increase in visits and phone calls.

4. New Connections

Having an ongoing medical condition may also provide you with the opportunity to meet new people and even have meaningful connections with some of them. My condition has led to some long-term friendships with medical professionals and members of illness support groups which I have joined.

5. Spare Time

Chronic illness can often force us to take time away from work and other responsibilities. Even though this can sometimes lead to boredom, it may also provide us with a respite away from the activities which caused us stress and anxiety. This can have long term benefits for our emotional wellbeing.

6. Forced to Simplify

Having new physical limits often requires you to modify your schedule and formulate daily routines which are much easier to manage. Consequently, you will end up living more simply. Not only can this benefit your emotional health, but it is also a useful skill to acquire.

7. New Fulfilments

While there is a good chance that you will still be able to indulge in some of the more sedentary pastimes which you have always enjoyed, you are also likely to develop a capacity to derive pleasure from simpler things. This is a by-product of following a less hectic routine. Ill health also helps us to appreciate life more. You may start to find life more fulfilling in some ways.

5 Steps to Breaking the Psychological/Physical Catch 22 of Chronic Illness

The relationship between physical wellness and emotional health has been well documented. There have been many studies which have demonstrated how ill health can cause psychological problems and vice versa.

We have seen many times, including with ourselves, how chronic illness can trigger emotional issues. It usually starts with feelings of weakness, pain, or fatigue. The decrease in physical ability can often impede you from performing the activities which you once enjoyed. This can lead to identity loss which causes depression. It doesn’t stop there though. Depression often leads to apathy. The result of this is inactivity which can then cause further health issues such as weight gain, loss of mobility, muscle loss, high blood pressure, cardio-respiratory issues, and a weakened immune system. These additional deteriorations in physical health can lead to further depression and so on.

You see how easy it is to fall into this quagmire. Getting out of it becomes a physical and psychological catch-22. This scenario is not uncommon, and some people remain stuck in this predicament for years. However, there are ways to reverse it as long you persevere. The following strategy may be worth considering:

1. Look for Optimism

Feeling optimistic makes finding the energy for physical movement a lot easier. Finding optimism is the first challenge though. The good news is that there are some easy exercises which can help you accomplish this. The first is Best Possible Self which simply involves you picturing life within a few years and writing down what it would look like if everything went the way you hoped.  The second is to make a list of positive things that have happened to you that day. The third is to list out strengths which you believe you still have. This may not sound like a lot, but when you begin to focus on the positive side of life, optimism becomes easier to achieve. The effects of these exercises will last if you perform them consistently. Pick one of them and try to carry it out for several minutes, at least three times a week.

2. Work Within Physical Limits

We already know that your strength and energy are likely to be limited. Trying to operate beyond those limits will set you up for failure, which can be demoralising. Once your optimism levels provide you with enough energy to move, stick to a modest level of physical activity. This may mean simply walking around the block. It’s the first step, but one which will help to build additional strength and energy over time.

3. Set a Simple Routine

Once you reach a place where have small amounts of optimism and energy, set out a daily routine which will be easy to manage. Again, stay within your energy limits. If you know you will only be physically active for two hours a day, create a routine which accommodates that. You can build upon this over time, but at least you know that you can perform some tasks.

4. Small Wins

Small wins create further optimism and energy, which will keep you progressing along an upward trajectory. Try setting out three to five meaningful goals which will be easy for you to achieve in the short term. They don’t have to be very big goals. They could be as simple as walking a little further, catching up with a friend or starting a book. Over time they add up.

5. Make Some Long-Term Plans

Once your morale has been boosted sufficiently from achieving some small wins, try setting some longer terms plans. The Best Possible Self exercise from earlier would be a good reference point for this. Ideally, these plans should include goals which will help your physical fitness and emotional wellbeing.

6 Steps to Tackle Compounding Issues During Chronic Illness

The other day I woke up feeling very de-energized. It still happens occasionally, but that’s okay. All it usually requires is for me to modify some activities and get some rest. However, that wasn’t the only thing I had to deal with. An hour later my laptop broke and I received a traffic fine. This was topped off with me having to troubleshoot an argument between my kids. Very quickly I began to feel overwhelmed.

Each of these issues is easy enough to deal with by themselves. However, when compounded together, they began to affect my mood. This series of incidents reminded me that how we become more fragile when multiple challenges hit us all at once. We are more resilient than we think and can normally cope with one or two things. It’s when we must handle multiple issues that we are most often at our most vulnerable. Our emotional energy reservoir is finite and when we are stretched in multiple directions, it tends to get depleted. 

This is especially true for people with long term illness conditions. That emotional energy reservoir becomes even more finite for them, at the same time as facing an increase in the number of challenges.  Exhaustion, pain, muscle weakness, managing daily tasks, anxiety, stress, depression, medication side effects and other comorbid conditions. The list goes on. One thing at a time you can handle, but all at once would get the better of anyone.

Fortunately, there are some ways for you to stay on top of things if this scenario ever becomes a reality. Here are six easy steps which you may want to consider:

1. Take a Step Back

Attempting to tackle every problem at once is likely to exacerbate your issues. It will leave you feeling emotionally depleted and your attempts to resolve anything will be compromised. Instead, it is better to pause, take a step back and gain a more panoramic view of what you need to deal with. This will help you to relax and strategize effectively.

2. Compartmentalise

This means identifying each of the issues which you will have to deal with and isolating them into their separate boxes. As the question goes “How do you eat an elephant?”, to which the answer is “one bite at a time.” The problem does not have to be as overwhelming as it seems this way. 

3. Fix What Can Be Fixed Quickly

Some issues will take less time to fix than others. In my case, I was able to settle my kids’ argument right away and pay the traffic fine online. On the health side, it might mean getting a temporary handle on depressed feelings or simplifying a daily routine. Once you have the easier issues out of the way you can pour the rest of your energy into the more time-consuming ones.

4. Postpone What You Can

 There will also be issues which don’t have an immediate resolution and so can wait until later. I ended up taking a week off from any work that required my laptop. This gave me extra time to get it fixed and also allowed me a chance to replenish my energy. Another example might be putting certain activities and people on the backburner while you solely focus on your health needs for a while.

5. Isolate and Focus on the Most Major Issue

As already mentioned, once you can tackle the challenges which have a quick answer and postpone the others, it allows you time to focus on the central issue. In most cases, it will be your chronic condition itself. However, it is for you to prioritize what is most urgent and important at this point.

6. Delegate

Certain issues may not have a quick fix. Nor can they be postponed either. In these instances, it is worth considering if they can be delegated to a close family member or friend, especially if they compromise your ability to focus on the central issue. Perhaps the kids need to be taken to school or you have groceries to buy. See who is available to take care of this for you.

We invite you to share your feedback with us. Have you tried any of these before? Have you tried anything different? What has worked for you? What has not worked?

Is there anything else you would like for us to cover?

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As always, if you are experiencing any severe medical or psychological symptoms, we always recommend you speak directly to a qualified professional.

Thank you for checking in with us and we’ll see you again soon.