A chronic illness can strike anyone at any age. One day you are normal and the next you wake up to find yourself living in a body that you no longer recognize as your own. You are a new person and the body that you exist in no longer functions as it always had. The commands that you give your body now go unanswered, you have changed, and there is no stepping back into the past. You realize that the person that you used to be is gone and that you now live with an illness that is likely to remain with you for the rest of your life.
A chronic illness is exactly that; an illness that is always there, an illness that is probably not going to go away, and an illness that now exists with you every minute of every day. It is there when you wake in the morning and it will be with you when you go to bed at night. It controls every decision that you make throughout your day, because each choice that you make that day, will affect the future outcomes of the illness.
Psychologically being diagnosed with a chronic illness can be devastating, not only on the person who suffers from it's ill effects, but also on all the individuals that it affects. Chronic illness affects everyone within the family unit, as well as friends, and acquaintances. It often alters a person's ability to function on a physical or emotional level. It can affect their ability to be independent, to earn a viable living, or to maintain current relationships. These changes can also often lead to frustration and depression. It is therefore very important to have a chronic illness management plan in effect, or to in effect have psychological strategies in place to understand, and combat these emotional changes.
You are not the same person that you were previously and it is a very normal process to grieve for the aspects of yourself that you have lost. It takes time to discover, and to appreciate, the new person that you have become. As a child you had to expose yourself to a variety of experiences and emotions to learn exactly who you were, what things in life you enjoyed, and what things you did not. You discovered your strengths, and your weaknesses, and you learned how to optimumly enjoy life being who you were born to be. Well when you adjust to living with a chronic illness, you step down, and begin these learning processes once again. You test what you are able to do and what you are not able to do. You rediscover your weaknesses, and your strengths, and you learn to effectively live again with the capabilities that you now have. You once again learn to optimize and enjoy your life to the best of your abilities.
You adapt, but it takes time, and it takes patience. Remember not to be too hard on yourself. Some aspects of your old life will just need a little adjustment to keep them in your current lifestyle, other aspects you will let go of, and replace with new more manageable goals.
If you were very physically active in the past, but discover that you can no longer rely on your physical strength, then you may now find yourself participating in less vigorous sporting activities. If your physical levels are drastically reduced you might find that you now take to enjoying these activities as a bystander or as a coach. A runner might now take to just enjoying a slow paced walk each day. A person now confined to a wheelchair may take to concentrating on upper body strength through weight training, yoga might now replace an aerobic workout, or simply splashing around in a pool may now replace doing laps. There are a large number of physical aides on the market to help in mobility, and the use of splints, a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair can get you up and moving again.
Making your home meet your needs can greatly improve your Independence and reduce your frustration levels. I used to say that I was only disabled when I had to feel like I was disabled. If your disability is not much of an issue in your day to day living activities, then it is much easier to adjust to, and a whole lot less frustrating to live with. Replace stairs with ramps, if this is not possible then move to a ranch style or handicap equipped home, so your mobility is not an issue. Bathrooms, and kitchens are two areas of the home that are most often not set up to meet the needs of the disabled, don't let yours bar you from using them! A shower can replace a bathtub if you are not able to access low levels. Handrails in the bathroom and bedroom can insure your safety. A raised toilet seat will reduce stress on fragile knees and help prevent falls. Taps that are easy to turn on and off will help prevent damage to hurt or fragile joints. Use jar openers, electric can openers, and other aides to reduce physical stresses whenever possible. Raising the upper part of your bed can help with breathing difficulties, as can an air ecologiser, and removing old carpets. Typing is easier than writing. Don't be ashamed to ask for a little help with cleaning or repairs. If your light bulbs are out of reach than purchase lamps, and use them instead, or have a friend replace burnt out bulbs. It is better to have a little assistance than to hurt yourself and wind up being able to accomplish less than you currently can. Use the aides available to you, and accept a helping hand when one is needed, it's okay.
If you were an author or an avid reader before you became ill but now find that you suffer from severe concentration issues, then you may learn to maintain these enjoyments, just in a somewhat different manner. Rather than reading or writing novels, you might now place your focus on smaller articles or bit pieces instead. These take less time and concentration to finish. Type instead of penning articles or letters, have someone else read to you, or participate in these mental activities for a shorter time period than you would have previously. Spending four to six hours at an activity can be extremely draining where as doing a little, and then taking a break, and returning to that activity later in the day can greatly reduce problem issues in that area. Try spending twenty to thirty minutes, three or four times a day instead, and you may be able to accomplish the same task without the concentration difficulties becoming too extreme for your current health levels.
Living life in bits and pieces works to effectively control mental or physical fatigue issues. Doing just a little of this, and a little of that, greatly reduces the physical and mental stress that most work loads bring with them. You will find that you will be able to accomplish a lot more throughout the day using this method than if you try to slug through.
Use both exercise and rest as physical therapy programs. Many chronic illnesses come with fatigue issues, and attempting to disregard this aspect of your illness, will only disable you more. Try to lay down for a twenty minute period of total rest every day. You do not have to sleep during this rest break, just lay down, and do absolutely nothing for twenty minutes. You will be amazed how this "total rest period" will rejuvenate and give you the energy to complete your day. It can be the difference between just existing throughout the remainder of your day or really truly enjoying it. Understand that during different times in your illness you will need more rest than exercise, just as in other times you will need more exercise. Be prepared to adjust your rest and exercise programs to meet your changing needs. During periods of severe illness flare, use range of motion exercises, walking, yoga, dance, or swim therapy to keep your body moving. As your health improves, and you grow stronger, increase your physical activity levels to include vascular training. Only you can truly know your physical activity levels, listen to your body, push yourself but don't punish yourself! Always try to do what is best for the long term.
A chronic illness doesn't go away, but you want to have your body at its ultimate health for as long as you possibly can, so fight for it! Know your body and do what is best for it. Learn everything that you can about your illness so you can take part in your therapy programs. Don't let the illness control your life, maintain control of your life, and you will be much more content within it. Talk to people around you, confide your fears, discuss your concerns, and question your treatments. Join a support group. Grieve for yourself. Be proud of yourself. Pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments, and laugh at your setbacks, treat the hard knocks with humor and they will be easier to deal with. Give yourself a little encouragement. You are human and being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a major lifestyle change to adjust to. It just takes time a little time to adjust to living with a chronic illness.
Good luck.