A friend of mine was recently dealt a blow by finding out that the pain she has been dealing with, is due to a chronic illness. She had been suffering for some time, before finding out the true diagnosis.
The important thing that I advised her to do, as well as what I would advise you or your loved ones to do (if you’re dealing with the same issue), is to not lose focus on the goals you have set for yourself, before getting a diagnosis.
You may have to alter your life plans to some degree, depending on the type of illness, but this is just one of many things that could come our way that may be discouraging, disheartening and cause us to go into a momentary depression. Whatever the situation is, keeping a life plan and educating yourself about your illness and what can be done to make your life easier as the illness progresses, is imperative.
Maybe getting together with other people who have your illness in a weekly support group, an online support group (where you can choose to be anonymous), discussing your illness with friends and family, writing your feelings down in a daily journal, and more; may help ease you through the first days in this phase of dealing with the recent diagnosis.
Whatever you are feeling is a true feeling, you are not imagining, you are not crazy, you should not be ashamed and you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, unless you choose to.
Remember, although you have been put in the passenger seat, due to this diagnosis, it doesn’t mean that you can’t retake control of your life and move into the drivers seat. Thus taking charge of the seconds, hours, and days for your chances to heal yourself (inside and out), to live contentfully each day of the rest of your life.
