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Mental Health News Articles
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| Posted: 7th August 2004 |
| Living with chronic pain or illness |
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People living with chronic pain or illness can easily become dispirited and able to only concentrate on their symptoms and the affects those symptoms have on their livesChronic illness makes demands, brings on emotional reactions such as anger, fear, self-pity and blame and focuses people only on the hopelessness and negativity rather than on the management and living.
Negative feelings and feelings of isolation are commonThey are natural reactions to difficult situationsChronic illness and pain of all degrees can be consuming and emotionally as well as physically drainingDay to day coping, medications and other treatments become either frightening or just very tiresomeSeeing beyond all of this is tricky
Achieving a healthy balance between the life you want to live and the adjustments you need to make is essential for both mental and physical well beingTo see the condition as just a part of life rather than the culmination of lifeTo see what you can do rather than what you can no longer doThis positivity is well known to increase adrenalin, therefore energy, reduce pain and encourage healing
A person’s life may be changed by a chronic conditionNew activities may need to be sought and meaningful experiences found to suit one’s capabilitiesBut it does not mean one has to withdraw or give up to any permanent degreeIf this were so then life would have no purpose or enjoyment, aspects that are vital if improved health and recovery are to have a chance. “Change is not a bad thing, it is what we do with that change that makes it good or bad”
Having the support of family and friends is valuableHaving the right professional support is crucialFor having someone to listen, talking things through, for emotional counselling, to use as a sounding board, to seek advice, for specific guidance in treatment and/or management, or for looking for new meaning and perspectivesEven from a physical point of view counselling can help in treatment – positivity and fulfilment themselves trigger endorphine release in the body, temporarily relieving painful symptoms. |
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