Posted: September 5th, 2022

Living with Chronic Illness

Living with Chronic Illness
A chronic illness is a persistent and long-term condition that, while not necessarily life-threatening, can significantly shorten or impact a person’s quality of life. Some chronic illnesses like heart conditions, diabetes, and dementia are more prevalent in old age, while others like asthma and epilepsy are discovered at birth or in later stages of life. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can feel scary and frustrating. A simple and temporary setback can feel like an impossible challenge. But there is hope. There are strategies you can embrace to help you remain positive and focused through the difficult times.
1. Accept and understand your illness
The first and most crucial step after being diagnosed with a chronic illness is to accept and understand the condition. You can acquire information from the internet, by talking to other people with the same condition and journalizing your symptoms and experiences. By doing so, you can learn how to control your symptoms when they set in and make informed decisions.
2. Adopt doable lifestyle changes
For many chronic illnesses, significant lifestyle changes like dietary changes and physical activities can be beneficial in improving the quality of life. But it does not happen overnight. Chronic illnesses affect your health, and therefore your body may be more fragile than others. Depending on the chronic illness that you have, examine your body and lifestyle gently, and establish the most suitable changes for you. Also, be patient with yourself and be systematic in what you choose before expecting to see any changes.
3. Be gentle with yourself and let go of expectations
Suffering from a chronic illness means that you will undergo numerous tests and experimental treatments that may promise a cure or produce better results. Repeated disappointments from all these procedures can be overwhelming. The best thing is to be gentle with your emotions and have minimal expectations to avoid the impact of disappointments.
4. Seek and accept support
Most people living with chronic illnesses, for some reason, refrain from asking for help from those around them. Even when things may appear simple, they might end up being very difficult. For instance, if your condition restricts you from driving or performing other physical activities, don’t be afraid to ask for a ride or help from people who can. Help must not necessarily be practical. Sometimes it may be emotional where you may need to talk to someone and express your feelings. Do not be afraid to ask for help, whether from people you trust or from support groups when going through a tough time.
Living with a chronic illness will not be easy. But you have the ability to influence change and improve your situation by first accepting and understating your condition, doing what you can, having minimal expectations, and seeking and accepting help when you need it.

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