LIVING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS/DISABILITY

By Will

     The absolute most important thing one can do when living with a chronic illness and/or disability, is to learn as much as possible about what you are battling.

     The more you know, the easier it should or could be to get a handle on those days when you feel like the constant battle with your chronic illness or disability is taking its toll on you and your life.

    This knowledge starts with the language or words that can be associated with having any type of chronic illness and/or disability. Knowing the language and keeping up to date with the current trends of your chronic illness and/or disability will and should help you survive.

    Knowing the language of my issues with COPD, severe Asthma, and a heart condition has helped me get through the battles over and over.

    ALWAYS REMEMBER – The more you know the better it will be in dealing with all that is involved with any chronic illness and/or disability.

TODAY WE TALK ABOUT ‘EMOTIONS’–

     What is ‘Emotions’ and Why is it an important word to know for those battling a Chronic Illness and/or disability?

     Emotions are something which we may be feeling nearly every moment of a lifetime.

     When asked, we bet that most folks can or would rattle off a minimum of six to ten emotions or more in maybe less than half of a minute or less, as emotions can detail a huge range of our reactions to life itself.

     These quick response emotions would most likely include anger, anxiousness, cheerfulness, depression, fear, enthusiasm, grief, happy, joy, sad, stress, and worry to name a few.

     Why would the word ‘Emotions’ be held with so much importance to those who may be battling a chronic illness and/or disability?  The answer would be – because emotions can and will indirectly affect how one’s disability and/or chronic illness is battled or reacts on a yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, or sometimes hourly basis.

     Many studies by well-known and respected people, (most of which can be found on several spots within the world of the internet) will note that it is a fact in which ‘feeling strong emotions alone’ may not be enough to cause one to develop a dangerous or upsetting situation with ones chronic illness and/or disability, those ‘same emotions’ can raise or lower the level of battles with ones chronic illness and/or disability.

     For instance, if one were to have issues with severe Asthma and/or COPD such as this writer does, experiencing certain types of emotions can and will upset our chronic illness and may even cause a flare up and/or exacerbation, while some emotions can and will actually work toward easing an issue with the severe Asthma and/or COPD.

     The reason why is that when a person is dealing with any type of emotions, many of your arbitrary functions such as breathing can change and become either quicker or shallower depending on the emotion. If your airways for instance may be particularly sensitive, emotions may be enough to set off a full-fledged severe Asthma attack or a COPD exacerbation.

     When you stop and evaluate some of the reactions that emotions may have had with those symptoms which cause issues with your chronic illness and/or disability, you will discover that simple emotions like crying, anger, laughing, or fear have indeed caused side issues with your chronic illness and/or disability over the years.

     Such emotions such as depression, anger, stress, worry, enthusiasm, and fear can and will likely cause a person to let their guard down at which time a trigger can slip by and set off another hard battle with one’s chronic illness and/or disability.

     So, yes, ‘Emotions’ should be a word that needs to be kept on the front burner sort to speak, as so many of them can and will affect a person’s physical body, which in turn can and will possibly affect those with a chronic illness and/or disability.

     There is much more which can and maybe should be said here, but the point here as been made as to the importance for one to realize, understand, and recognize how the word ‘Emotions’ can and will affect your life and the continuing battles which one may have with a chronic illness and/or disability.

QUESTION FOR OUR READERS: 

  • “Have you noticed any particular emotions that directly affect your chronic illness and/or disability? And if so, which emotions seem to cause the most issues with or the least issues with your chronic illness and/or disability?”

     We as these weekly questions with our posting to help stimulate the minds of our readers but also to help push them to understand and evaluate what has been said.

     ALWAYS REMEMBER: Be willing – if you or anyone you know may have any symptoms of a health issue that lingers over and over while disrupting ones daily living and travels, then please ask questions and get those issues checked out by a dependable physician or medical specialist. ONE’S HEALTH and/or LIFE may depend on it!

NOTES TO REMEMBER = We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having a chronic illness and/or disability and in no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical information and/or a type of treatment. ALWAYS consult your physician and/or medical specialist with any questions about what we share.

{Copyright@2022 by CrossDove Writers – no part of this may be printed, copied, or used without written permission from CrossDove Writers}

(Will is a freelance writer who may be reached at wheezingaway@gmail.com)