How to cope with an “invisible illness”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in two Americans suffers from at least one chronic disease that affects their daily lives. Diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and diabetes are often referred to as invisible illnesses because the pain many patients feel is not visually apparent.
So what can a person do to get through the pain without feeling so defeated? Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries and National Invisible Illness Week (which is happening now), shares some tips on Huffington Post on how to cope. My favorite? Number 3, where Copen says to “search for the joy in your blessings:”
Instead of dwelling on thinking about how badly you feel, find ways to bring more joy into your life, even if it’s just appreciating the small things. Explore what makes you happy and what you are doing when your natural adrenaline seems to take over some of the fatigue, and you have extra energy. That’s likely where your passions are!
Focus on bringing more of this into your life. And don’t let your limitations stop you. For example, maybe you once loved to garden. Now you could grow a few potted flowers or hire a neighborhood teenager to plant some vegetables and set up an automatic sprinkler system for them. You could even start a garden consulting business. Think beyond what you once did, but find ways to replicate the things you love in new ways.
I think this is something we can all apply in our often busy lives – whether we have an invisible illness or not.
Via @teaminspire
Previously: Rules for living with a chronic illness and Patients with rare diseases share their extraordinary stories
Photo by Caitlinator
September 13th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
that’s it? i was told just today i need to stop working and i’m the breadwinner! i love teaching music and this is a hard decision. i’m thankful for disability insurance and the semester’s worth of sabbatical for which i am eligible. i was looking for a lot more coping advice than what i found here.
September 14th, 2011 at 3:55 am
Be sure to visit the website for more detailed ion at http://invisibleillness.com -I do understand how hard it is… My shoulder is frozen so I a up at 4am.
September 14th, 2011 at 7:23 am
It is assumed that almost every illness in today’s world is caused by an immune system that can’t defeat an invader, but what they seem to be over-looking is the damage that can be caused by an immune system that doesn’t know when to quit. We are not all in need of an immune system boost. An immune system that is over-performing, which is what happens in most autoimmune illnesses, can make you feel just as bad; just as sick as an immune system that is under-performing as in the case of some degenerative illnesses.
September 14th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Amen Rachael! I am in the same position as someone who is suffering from Lupus. My immune system is always in over-drive attacking my organs and other areas of my body, and because Lupus is so hard to diagnose, many of us go years, even decades suffering and being told “its just in your head” and then after ages of letting our bodies be attacked from the inside, we finally get a diagnosis and by then plenty of damage has been done.
Also, I have to agree with Shawn too, I sorta expected something more than “Just find something you like” as a coping mechanism…
September 14th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
I agree with Shawn and Nicole that the article was not very informative at all.
September 15th, 2011 at 9:40 am
The invisible illnesses:
More than 50 million people in the United States suffer from autoimmune diseases due to an abnormal immune reaction called autoimmunity. Autoimmunity is a major cause of many chronic diseases. This number, however, does not include several brain diseases and mental illnesses for which brain autoimmunity has been experimentally demonstrated. For example, a huge population with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Tourette’s syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been found to have autoimmunity to brain. This patient population is never included in epidemiological studies of the autoimmune diseases.
Source: Google: Evidence suggests a pathogenic role of brain autoimmunity in central nervous system diseases
September 15th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
I have been suffering pain from Fibromyalgia Syndrome, CFS/ME plus several other syndroms for over 15 years. I also believe it is heriditory and have suffered with problems as a child growing up. My two daughters are unwell possibly having Fibro they are under diagnoses now. My son has ADHD and there is a conection with this and fibro. I have one daughter with dyslexic and I am aswell. All these conditions are invisable. As I have metal in my back and am in pain with this I sometimes use a stick, the interesting thing is people are more than happy to let me pass or give there seat up for me. WHen I donn’t have a stick you can forget any help.
I think the general public needs to be educated about health issues that are invisable. I run a support group and encourage family and friends of sufferers to come and join in and learn more about illness so they can give the right support at home. Education is the key, I believe.
October 20th, 2011 at 11:04 am
I want some information here!