What is a chronic illness?
First things first, let’s understand what chronic illness is. Any disease that often lasts for a year or more is known as a chronic disease. It requires continuous medical attention or even limited activities included in daily living. Depression, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and osteoporosis are some of the most common chronic diseases in the world.
Dealing with the unbearable pain of a broken bone or bruise is anything but easy. But, at least there is an end to it once the bone or the bruise heals and you are back to normal in a certain period. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with problems like blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, osteoporosis or arthritis. These ailments are listed under the chronic illness category as there is hardly a cure in sight, and they usually stay with a person for a lifetime. Fact: A study reveals that the overall prevalence of chronic disease amongst Indians is about 21%. Yes, you read that right! Also, the study shows that the likelihood of suffering from chronic disease increases with age, and it has been identified as a leading cause of mortality in India. This calls for an urgent need to increase the availability, affordability and accessibility of healthcare services for the Indian population. In recent years, people have been inclined toward homoeopathic treatments as well. You can learn about the benefits of homoeopathy as homoeopathic treatments have shown positive results in treating a wide array of ailments.
Learning to live with chronic illness.
Frightening and disoriented— these two words can describe exactly how one feels about being diagnosed with a chronic disease. From the initial shock of the diagnosis to finally accepting it and starting living with it, there are hundreds of changes that one goes through. Well, everyone is prone to stress in some part of life. However, being diagnosed with a chronic condition can make you much more vulnerable. In addition to the ongoing challenges of every day, a chronic illness adds a new layer of stressors. When affected, you may need to manage a few things like:
- Deal with the discomfort and pain from your symptoms.
- Cope with the feeling of frustration, irritation, confusion or even isolation.
- Take the necessary steps to manage the illness and practice self-care
- Adjust to the new limitations that the disease brings along
- Cope with the increased financial pressure
Chronic diseases can usually be controlled but not cured. Don’t be disheartened because you can minimize the challenges of living with a chronic illness and can live your life to the fullest with some simple steps. You can use the following strategies to regain control.
Let go and accept the limitations.
Having a disease like cancer or any other chronic illness is undoubtedly a major setback. It might be impossible to see positive when concerns and fears are always present by your side. Begin with accepting the limitations and skipping the things you used to consider a must daily and being completely okay with it. You might be leading a routine for several years, repeating specific daily tasks for years, but now fail to do them; accept it! To make the process easier, make a list of tasks you wish to accomplish, ranked on the basis of priority. This way, you know what to do first, when you have the highest stamina in the morning and what can be held up if required.
Follow the “one good thing” mantra.
Sure, the pain is real, but only focusing on it will not make it any better. If you aim to maximize the positivity in life, you feel less pain, 19% less, as per studies. That is because you practice positive affirmations. But how to shift your mind when all it does is think about the pain? Well, one easy way to do it is by following the “one thing good in a day” mantra. Right from the time you wake up to falling asleep at night, count at least one good thing that happened to you during the day. This reminds you that it hasn’t been all bad, and you can get through it.
Exercise
Exercising is another way to live a better life when suffering from a chronic disease. Exercising helps to keep the body engaged and enhances its healing capabilities. It is also known to enhance mood and improve sleep patterns and is excellent for mental cognition. According to Environmental Science and Technology reports, patients who exercised outdoors had more positivity and revitalized energy. So, make time to exercise outdoors. It might just be a mild workout that you do or anything particular suggested by your physician, or just a walk would be fine.
Join support groups
Fortunately, we are living in a time when you can seek help when you aren’t able to cope with the changes or the stress that chronic illness brings along. There are several types of help available, like joining support groups. Support groups provide an environment where one can share their experience and learn new ways to deal with their illness from other people’s coping strategies. Also, learning about the fact that you aren’t the only one facing hardships can make you feel better. You can contact any non-profit organization dedicated to your disease to connect with these groups.
These tips can help you live a better life when dealing with a chronic disease. However, you can also give homeopathic medicines a chance as the side effects are minimal to nil. Homoeopathic treatment for diabetes has shown excellent results; you can contact a trusted doctor to know more about these medicines.
Also Read: 23 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SCANNERS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW
