Coping With Chronic Illness

Having a chronic illness isn\’t like having the flu or a broken leg, where you know you will get better in a set amount of time. Having a chronic illness means that you don\’t have any certainty of when you may get better; in fact your illness may never go away. When suffering from a chronic illness you are often tired and in pain; it can affect your physical appearance or your physical abilities. It may prevent you from working, causing you financial anxiety and stress. You may also feel angry, questioning why this has happened to you. And of course, it doesn\’t just affect you. Family members and friends are also affected and influenced by the persistent health changes of a loved one.

It is easy to become isolated in these circumstances-the changes to your body and your abilities can affect your positive self-image, making it hard for you to interact with others. Stress can build and become prolonged which then leads to frustration, anger, hopelessness and sometimes even depression.

Seek help as soon as you can
When diagnosed with a chronic illness one of the first things you should do is to seek help.
Don\’t leave it until you are already struggling with the ramifications of your new health status. You should be building a support network as soon as you feel less able to cope and before you feel helpless. There are several forms of help available to someone in your position. A trained counselor or mental health care provider can help you develop strategies to regain a feeling of control and draw up a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. They can also determine if depression is present and can get you to the right medications to help regulate your mood.

Support groups are also useful, providing an environment where you can learn new ways to deal with your illness. You can share approaches that you have discovered with others, enabling you to be proactive in your illness not just reactive. Soon you will also gain the necessary strength to realize that you are not facing your illness alone.

Top Five Tips for Taking Control

  1. Accept your illness. This may sound defeatist, but if you make an effort to adapt then you can acknowledge your loss of happier times when you were physically able and emotionally strong. Accepting will help you face the new challenges in your life.
  2. Love yourself as you are today-your looks, your illness, your problems and your limitations. Take pride in what you can accomplish NOW.
  3. Take total responsibility for your health and never overlook all the help you can get.
  4. Become an expert on your illness. Research it, discuss it with fellow sufferers, always go to your medical appointments prepared with questions.
  5. Let go of the “Why me?” attitude so you can look forward and not backwards. Once you leave the past behind, you can solve the problems you are experiencing right now such as how you can still exercise despite the new weakness in your legs.

 

And remember, you are still “YOU”; the illness should not have control over your life
Learning how to manage a chronic illness is hard but once you find a way to do this while still being “you,” the strength you will gain from this journey will enable you to get back the positive physical, emotional and spiritual outlook that you had in life before your illness.

 

If you found this post helpful, you might also enjoy exploring some of our other articles that dive deeper into the topics of relationships, communication, and emotional wellness. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your current connection, better understand co-dependency, or prepare for a healthy marriage, these related posts offer valuable insights and tools to support your journey. Take a look—you may find just what you need.

Related Posts

The Key to Love

Multiple studies have been conducted exploring the idea that two people can develop a close relationship by sharing their most intimate thoughts. In one famous study the two people involved began as strangers, but soon, through a series of increasingly more probing questions, they became close. The questions began innocuously enough, as a getting-to-know-you exercise. They progressed to more personal issues that left each person feeling vulnerable. When the self-disclosure

Read More »

Unseen Trauma, Shame, Codependency

The trauma of being unseen often lies at the root of both shame and codependency, quietly shaping how we relate to ourselves and others throughout our lives. This unseen wound—often rooted in early relational experiences—leaves an enduring imprint on our emotional landscape, one that can quietly dictate our behavior, self-worth, and capacity for connection well into adulthood. When a person’s emotional reality is consistently ignored, dismissed, or invalidated—especially during the

Read More »

Sex, Sex, and More Sex

Sex is often the cornerstone of a good relationship. Sure, it’s possible to have a wonderful relationship without it, but sex can really enhance and strengthen your journey as a couple. In fact, research tells us that couples who are committed long-term, and who can communicate with each other about their sex life, have better sex and have it more often than those who don’t talk about it. They feel

Read More »
RELATIONSHIP COUNSELING SERVICES

Find The Counseling Service That Is Right For You

At Nancy’s Counseling Corner, we’re here to support every stage of your relationship journey. Whether you’re navigating challenges in your marriage, preparing for lifelong commitment through premarital counseling, or working through the emotions of separation and divorce, our services are designed with care, compassion, and expertise. We specialize in Marriage Counseling, Relationship Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Divorce Counseling, Co-dependency Counseling—and so much more. No matter where you are, healing and growth are possible. Let’s take that next step—together.

Marriage & Couples Counseling

Marriage is a lifelong commitment that requires hard work, love, care, and understanding the needs of other people.

Relationship Counseling

Can help you find–and keep–the love of your life. Relationships are challenging and require an extensive amount of patience.

Divorce Counseling

Divorce Counseling is an emotional and strenuous thought for those seeking to solve marital problems.

Depression Counseling

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by at least 10-14 days of noticeable or recognizable low mood.

Co-dependency

“Codependency” is a term we hear thrown around a lot these days, though many of us aren’t sure exactly what it means.

Premarital Counseling

Offers Premarital Counseling to couples in the Orange County area that are considering to get married or are already engaged.

Anxiety Counseling

Offers Premarital Counseling to couples in the Orange County area that are considering to get married or are already engaged.

Meditation

Offers Premarital Counseling to couples in the Orange County area that are considering to get married or are already engaged.

Hypnosis

Offers Premarital Counseling to couples in the Orange County area that are considering to get married or are already engaged.