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Do you have SAD?
Hey everybody!
I have been sent this infographic by Betterhelp, an online counselling service. I have worked with them before and as you all know from a recent post of mine I suffer with this myself. I think it is incredibly important that people know the signs and symptoms so they can better take care of the mental health of people around them as well as themselves.
So, if you suspect someone around you might have SAD, or you think this infographic describes how you feel please go and check out these articles sent to me by Betterhelp and never be afraid to seek help and the great thing about online counselling is that you can fit it around your schedule.
Just click the picture to be taken to the infographic
Essential Chronic Illness Dos And Don’ts For A Full Life
The defining factor of having a chronic illness is that it never leaves you. You may go through periods when it isn’t so bad, and also have periods where you suffer more than usual. Therefore, it is incredibly important to know what to do in the harder times as well as the good ones to preserve your energy and health. A topic that you can read more about below.
Do set yourself goals.
One thing that can be useful for those of us with chronic illness is to set goals to work to. Of course, it can help to do this in a slightly different way than others would.
What I mean is that you have goals for the good days where you push yourself a little more, and also targets for the bad days where you do things that are not so strenuous or demanding, and that have more restorative effects.
Don’t ignore the warning signs.
Next, when you suffer from a chronic condition, you get pretty good at recognizing the warning sign of a relapse. However, it’s vital that you always listen to these signs and use them as a message from your mind and body that needs extra care.
In fact, for some suffering from chronic conditions the severity of a relapse can be mitigated by recognizing the warning signs early and seeking out additional medical help.
A particular example of this being addiction, where the re-emergence of the use of the desire to use substances suggests that an additional stint in rehab is necessary to strengthen the patients’ resolve. Something that if caught early enough can prevent a relapse before it has even begun.
Do be compassionate.
Compassion is a vital to skill to have when you suffer from a chronic illness. In fact, I think that it is something that living with this type of condition can teach us to have both for ourselves, and for others.
Of course, it’s not always easy to direct compassion to yourself, especially if you are frustrated, tired, and in pain. Although one thing that can help is to write a statement that reminds you that you are suffering from a condition and that it affects your normal range of function, as this can help you to realize that it is not your fault.
Also, the Buddhist practice of Metta or loving-kindness is an excellent way of developing a more loving heart towards ourselves. You can even find a guided meditation to help you complete the practice here.
Don’t be unrealistic.
Lastly, when you suffer from a chronic condition, it’s important to be as realistic as possible with what you expect from yourself on a day to day basis. Don’t compare yourself to others whether they have your illnesses or not, but learn to be able to feel from the inside where your limits and boundaries are, and be OK with that.
After all, no one else is living your life or has the particular challenges that you have to face. Therefore, by learning to be realistic, you can help yourself live your life to the full, without putting any additional strain on your body and mind.
Namaste xxx
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What does life after illness look like?
For a lot of people, the moment that they discover the news that they have some kind of long-term or chronic illness, it can often feel as though the whole world is crashing down around them. It can make a lot of things feel pointless and as though there’s no real purpose in moving forward at all. Of course, that’s obviously not the case. Long-term illness is far from a death sentence and many people go on to live incredibly happy and fulfilling lives after being diagnosed. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t adjustments to your life that need to be made. With that in mind, here are some things to think about in a life after illness.
The boring stuff
One thing that you’ll want to get out of the way as soon as possible is all of the boring legal stuff and other paperwork that you inevitably have to deal with. Whether you’re filing an insurance claim or going through a company like The Specter Partnership to get compensation if you’ve been a victim of malpractice, it can be tough to motivate yourself to deal with any of it. However, doing it as soon as possible means that you can get on with your life without having to have those things constantly hanging over your head while you’re trying to adjust.
Moving forward
For a lot of people, when they get back to their normal life they’re faced with one question: now what? It’s okay to feel a little lost, at least at first. After all, you’re dealing with a big change and it’s understandable that you might expect the rest of your life to reflect that. But the truth is that life goes on no matter what and it’s up to you to try and go on with it. Think about the changes that will be needed in your life but also focus on the things that are staying the same. Before you know it, you’ll feel like things are right back to feeling the way they used to.
Asking for help
No matter kind of situation they find themselves in, there are some people who simply cannot stand the idea of reaching out to anyone in their lives for help. However, doing this is actually one of the bravest things that you can do. There is no weakness in needing help from others and if you refuse to ask for it, you’re just going to end up making your own life a lot harder than it needs to be.
It’s incredibly important to understand that there will almost certainly be days where you just want to hide away and give up. It’s okay that this happens, it’s a natural part of dealing with something as difficult as a long-term illness. The key is to keep your eye focused on the present moment and living every second as well as possible. It’s okay to get knocked down from time to time, as long as you keep getting up again.
Namaste xxx
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