Chronic Illness
Many people living with chronic illness participate in “toxic positivity,” portraying to the world that everything is okay because it feels easier than sharing how hard things really are for you. This experience of “invisible illness” can feel really isolating, making it difficult to explain to even those closest to you what it is like to live with fear, uncertainty, vulnerability, and less control of your body. Maybe you’ve tried to connect with others about what you are going through, but they responded by trying to problem solve or find the “silver lining,” when you just needed to be heard and feel less alone. It’s common to minimize the emotional impact of your chronic illness, especially with yourself, making it even harder to feel comfortable sharing it with others.
Chronic illness can impact every aspect of your life, making it hard to live your life the way you want to. Perhaps you overcompensate for your limitations, so that others aren’t even aware of how much thought, planning, and effort goes into just making it through each day. You may be missing out on things you enjoy, trying to balance your restrictions with your responsibilities, or feeling fearful about the future and how your symptoms may impact your life. Maybe you feel easily irritated or stressed by the small day to day things, because you have less reserve to cope. You might get frustrated when others complain about their days, because your perspective about life has changed.
Together we will explore what it has been like for you to live with chronic illness, process the losses you’ve experienced since your diagnosis, and develop coping strategies to help you feel more in control and content with your life. Through our work together, we will practice ways to communicate your needs in a safe but assertive way, so that you can feel less isolated.
Whether you are still adjusting to a new diagnosis, or struggling with the chronicity of your condition, you don’t have to cope with it alone.