Chronic Illness

Chronic Illnes, Health, , , 23 Comments

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Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

23 thoughts on “Chronic Illness”

  4. VJ, you’ve done a beautiful job of explaining how chronic illness feels so that I think I understand it without having gone through it myself. It reminds me of something I heard cognitive scientist Maya Shankar say about change, ““We don’t like change because it almost definitionally involves a loss of identity and that’s very destabilizing. I think as humans we often attach ourselves to specific identities as we move through the world because it gives us a sense of security. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as identity foreclosure. We are foreclosing on an identity, we commit to an identity and fail to maintain an exploratory mindset.”

    If I remember from the podcast where I heard that, once we give up that identity, that exploratory mindset does kick in and help as the end of your statement suggests. I hope that is true for your experience that a renewed sense of purpose is found.

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    1. I haven’t heard this explanation but it sure makes sense. I am 8 years in, so the renewed sense of purpose is well-established, but every so often I am reminded of the enormous losses that come with this disease.
      I believe in acknowledging what I am feeling so I can move on.

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    1. The best gift you can give someone with chronic illness, is a moment of being ‘normal’. If they can’t go out for a tea, drop by with a favourite beverage. Offer to sit and watch a movie, preferably funny. I have a friend that just sends me thoughts of the day, and it makes me smile that she thinks of me. I think everyone has different needs, but it’s always nice to have a mini-vacation with a cherished friend

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