Category Archives: Emotions
Overwhelmed by Life? Depression? Apathy? You Need To Know Which Now!
Did you just receive a bad medical report? I have. Overwhelmed by all you must deal with? Ditto for me. Has it caused depression? Or is it apathy combined with your chronic illness instead? Recently, I heard the news, “Your MRI/MRA showed a problem.” Not words you want to hear. Conclusion two months later: a […]
Continue reading5 Considerations Chronically Ill Need When They Make Choices
Do I do this – or that? Rest or hold my grandchild? Shop with a friend or stay home? Take care of my health or attend an important meeting? And on and on and on. In our lives as chronically ill people, we must make countless choices. We face more decisions with serious consequences than […]
Continue readingLaughter – A Great Tool for Invisible Disabilities!
Laughter and invisible disabilities. Is that even possible? Consider the pain we experience on a daily level. Reflect on our unique problems. So, how can we remedy these difficulties with humor and laughter? Take a lesson from the children. They know how to have fun. This laughing little boy set his snow dish on the […]
Continue readingDoesn’t Being Sick Give Me the Right to Be Angry?
The short answer is no. We know that anger and chronic illness often coexist. Dwellers challenges frequently overwhelm them. Frustration results. How can these upsets be managed? My friend Dena reaches a point where she realizes she cannot take one more thing; now how can she do her work? Then one more thing happens, but […]
Continue readingI Am Not My Condition
Danny van Leeuwen writes a guest post for us again. Today’s title intrigues me: “I Am Not My Condition.” How many of us can say that? Because, really, while my condition limits me, it does not define me. Read on to see Danny’s ideas. Danny produces Health Hats, the Podcast. He also writes for his […]
Continue readingMy Ultimate Hope Despite My Invisible Disabilities
Hope, the optimistic belief that my life still matters, derives from a variety of sources. Hope is needed in diverse situations. In Navigating the Storms, we talk about chronic illnesses not able to be seen by others; sometimes, not even understood by doctors. So, where do I find hope despite my invisible disabilities? Forty-plus years […]
Continue readingStressed Out? Can We Manage and Overcome It?
Stress management for invisibly disabled people. Really? But you’re so overwhelmed, and things just keep happening. How in the world can stress management work for you? Sometimes, I truly feel that way. I have plans – essential things to do – and unexpected fatigability hits. Or maybe unpredictable pain strikes. Occasionally, it’s something good: a […]
Continue readingDo I Love Me When Things Get Bad?
“I love me” sounds kind of selfish, doesn’t it? It may be, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be something else. Self-compassion. A necessary element, especially for the chronically ill. Self-compassion by invisibly disabled people is critical. The technical definition Self-compassion is the extension of kindness, care, warmth, and understanding (instead of beratement […]
Continue readingCan You Cheer Me Up? I’m Feeling So Down!
How do the chronically ill cope with depression? Well, maybe not full-blown depression. Maybe just down or blah days. Or maybe unusually pain-filled or extra fatigue days. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? And it’s so helpful to have someone to cheer us up. But, on our “good” days, have we worked out a way […]
Continue readingI Can’t Work Now! Who am I?
Let’s think today about identity and invisible disabilities. I don’t mean identifying as an invisibly disabled person. Rather, I’m speaking of the sometimes-difficult areas to consider: our self-worth and identity. Sometimes, when we lose important abilities, we may find it hard to still see ourselves as worthwhile people who do have a purpose. Were you […]
Continue reading