Living with a chronic illness or caring for someone who does can be challenging. The experience is unique for each person, and it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others who may have it worse or better. Accepting your journey through chronic illness is key to finding peace and contentment. In this blog post we emphasize the importance of connecting with others who understand. By sharing stories, people can find support, encouragement, and possibly even new treatment options.
If you found your way here, you either have a chronic illness or someone you care about does. Living with a chronic illness or seeing someone you love and care about live with it can be difficult in so many ways.
The CDC broadly defines chronic illnesses as ‘conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or
both’. Think of all the conditions that this includes… I mean, wow. When I first read this and it sunk in, it blew my mind. There are so many people who live with some type of chronic illness and deal with the struggles of it every day.
One of the hardest things I’ve experienced on this journey is really understanding and explaining what chronic illness is. People don’t seem to understand that most days… I just don’t feel good. Period. There is no magic pill that makes it go away. And I swear if one more person suggests yoga my head may implode!
Not that yoga isn’t good for you, it may help in managing symptoms of some chronic illnesses – but that’s another day!
The difficult thing with understanding your chronic illness or the chronic illness of someone you love is that it really looks different for everyone. Even if two people have been diagnosed with the same condition, the symptoms, including the physical and mental toll it takes on a person, is always going to be different. I struggle with this, especially when my mental health takes a dive due to a flare in my symptoms…
I can have days when I either compare myself to others who appear to be doing worse and make myself feel like I am overreacting – or – I feel uncomfortable talking to others about how I’m feeling because I don’t want them to think that I’m trying to compare myself or lessen their journey in some way.
Accepting your journey through chronic illness is a key step in finding peace and contentment in your life. It's easy to fall into the trap of comparing your situation to others, either feeling guilty for having it better or feeling like you're overreacting because others have it worse. However, it's important to remember that everyone's journey is unique, and there is no right or wrong way to experience chronic illness. Comparing yourself to others only serves to create unnecessary stress and negativity. Instead, try to focus on your own progress and growth, and remember that you are not alone in your struggles. By sharing your story and connecting with others who understand, you can find the support and encouragement you need to keep moving forward.
The manifestation of symptoms differing for each person means that managing them looks different for each person too. When I started on my journey of chronic illness, I didn’t realize that these symptoms would follow me for so long – they began over a decade ago and I’m still on the path of attempting to find treatment options that work – some never do and some do for a while but then stop.
When feeling vulnerable on my path and weak in mindset, I try to remember that while we are all on our own journey and fighting our own battles, it does not mean we have to do it alone. Sharing our stories can help us feel connected during a time when we suddenly find ourselves very alone – and this is so important.
Starting this community, for me, is a way of not just chronicling my journey but of creating a place for people to come together and share theirs. Of possibly finding a new option that they hadn’t heard of yet, the courage to advocate for themselves when finding it difficult to navigate the traditional healthcare system, or to just feel for a moment like you have a little army of people behind saying ‘you can get through this!’
Say hi below and share your story – I can’t wait to get to know you all!
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