Fear. Illness. Sadness. Anxiety. 

The words dangle before my eyes, suspended in midair as if to taunt me. They hang in the balance as constant reminders of stories flashing relentlessly through my mind. I close my eyes tightly, hoping the words disappear, leaving me alone forever. When I open them, they're still dancing wildly, mocking me for the hope that went unanswered.

.

I'm not the only one struggling with negative thoughts; unfortunately, I have PLENTY of company.

In times of trouble, I find it helpful to turn to one of my favorite quotes from Rumi, who understood human suffering, resilience, and hope. I look to his  wisdom to remind me how inner pain forces us to realize what truly matters:

"The wound is the place where the light enters you."

Living with an illness is challenging, and these days, it's even more challenging, with global divisiveness, hatred, and violence adding significant stress to our lives. Stress can cause our symptoms to worsen.

With your permission, I'd like to offer some wisdom to help manage negative emotions and pesky thoughts. I believe it's possible for us to bring light and hope to ourselves and others when it's needed most.

Offer hope and authenticity instead of platitudes to those living with chronic illness.

People often mean well with trite platitudes like "When one door closes, another one opens" or "We get as much as we can handle." Those maxims were created for people looking for easy answers. The truth is, there are no easy answers when it comes to mental health. We can't shake it off or get over how we feel.  It takes a tremendous amount of hard work.

The lessons I've learned over the years often came from the brilliance of others who offer hope and resilience through their words or deeds.

I'll leave a few links to helpful resources at the end of this post.

The magical book.

When I was thirteen, I read Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet and was deeply moved. As the words washed over me, they sparked my inner spirit as if there were a birth; believe me, it was a birth. It was the beginning of my passion for philosophy and spirituality. Since then, that passion has helped me through some pretty dark times.

I've also learned from Mr. Rogers (yes, that Mr. Rogers) the importance of turning to "helpers.": 

"When I was a boy and saw scary things in the news, my mother would say, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"  --Fred Rogers

Change your perspective, change your world.

Gibran offered a way to look at life through a different lens. Changing your perspective can change your world. I found this article by Psychology Today helpful in shifting your mindset as Gibran prescribes.

If we adopt a more positive outlook on our experiences, we can find the strength to persevere through our most demanding challenges. Is this easy? Not at all, but it's worth a shot.

Philosophers, poets, religious leaders, trusted friends and family, online communities, and many more can contribute to our mental wellness plan. They are the helpers we should turn to, time and time again.

Avoid anyone toxic; your social circle should comprise of people with your best interests at heart.

Attitude is critical to living a life of joy.

I learned the importance of a positive attitude at a young age. Little did I know how handy this would be at a seminal moment in my life when, at twenty-eight years old, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and became part of the disability community

I leaned on Gibran's philosophy to help me face my most significant challenges.

Learning a bit about Buddhism also helped me deal with adversity. When things fall apart, try to find ways to feel grateful instead of angry. Facing fear instead of running away from it can give us the courage to grow stronger.

Confronting our fears can be complicated and overwhelming. I'm not a medical professional, so the only advice I can offer is to seek professional help if you need it. There's no shame in prioritizing your well-being.

I highly recommend talk therapy. From personal experience, it has "saved" me several times.

Sit. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Breathe.

Life can present us with many challenges that seem impossible to overcome. Our troubles can feel overwhelming, leading us to believe we’ll never recover.

We have two choices: we can either feel sorry for ourselves or see challenges as gifts that remind us it's time to make positive changes. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow.

You might be thinking, "Cathy, you're crazy! How can I grow and change when living with this blankety-blank illness that's overpowering? There's no way I can do that!

My answer is that I hear you and understand entirely. I've been there. But I also know from experience that if we do our best to feel lighter by trying integrative medicine, and working on our inner selves, it can help us relax, and it helps immeasurably.

Does that make sense? I hope so. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The importance of gratitude when facing chronic illness

Every morning, I name at least two things I'm grateful for.

My list always starts with my husband and son. Then, I have the ability to dress, bathe, and feed myself. I can walk, sometimes with a walking stick. I'm blessed to have the work I love, helping others feel less frightened and isolated on their health journey.

What are YOU grateful for?

It's okay to have bad days; that's fine; we all have them. Living with a chronic illness is never easy. Don't feel discouraged if you have days when you only want to lie in bed. That happens to all of us. Once in a while, that's perfectly okay!

I hope this post has been helpful and that your bright days will outnumber the dark ones.

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

May the light enter you often and bring the inner peace you deserve.

NOTE: This post was originally posted in July 2015. It was updated and altered.

USEFUL LINKS:
Insight Timer - the free meditation app. (Including meditations for fear, anxiety, etc.)
The Mayo Clinic's take on integrative medicine.
Chopra: The Neuroscience Behind Gratitude: How Does Cultivating Appreciation Affect Your Brain?
Lion's Roar: Are You Listening? To Really Listen to Others We Must First Learn to Listen to Ourselves
VeryWell Health: Can Stress Trigger Multiple Sclerosis?