How to Set (and Respect) Boundaries Live to Better with Chronic Illness
Boundaries can be an important part of mental health and when you have a chronic illness, they are an essential tool to maintain your physical health. But what are boundaries, exactly, and how can they help you create a better life with chronic illness and pain? In this post, I share some of my insights…
Plan for the Curveball to Live Well with RA
When rheumatoid arthritis (RA) makes everything in your life uncertain, you can count on one thing: any plans you’ve had the audacity to make dispersing in the air as if hit by a magic spell. To paraphrase John Lennon, chronic illness is what happens when you make any plans. And when it happens often enough,…
I Tried Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder
It arrived like clockwork the second week of February. I’ve had Seasonal Affective Disorder for as long as I can remember, as do several other people in my family. This year’s was a humdinger. I started isolating (remember this was before COVID-19), the world lost its colours, I got really sad, and writing became extremely…
Chronic Illness Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Contribute
I can’t work, so I feel like a deadweight in my marriage. We used to do active things together and now we can’t. I worry that it’ll end our relationship. I see these comments all the time as I talk to others in the chronic illness community. When you can no longer do everything you…
Thoughts on Guilt and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Guilt and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) go hand-in-hand. It goes something like this: You made plans. Sometimes big plans, sometimes small. Then you wake up to a day when your RA has decided to be extra — extra painful, extra flare-y, extra getting in the way of your life — and there’s only one thing to…
I Tried CBD Oil for Chronic Illness and Pain. This is What Happened
As the war on opioids continues to restrict prescription pain medication, those of us who live with chronic pain are looking for alternatives that will help us to continue living our lives. CBD oil is one option. It has had a profound impact on the pain caused by my rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia and surprisingly,…
Try #3Things for Lasting Change with Chronic Illness + Free Tool
Failing on your New Year’s resolutions within a few weeks is normal for anyone, but when you have a chronic illness, life is already overwhelming enough. Why add another thing that makes you feel bad? One year ago, I decided to not make a resolution. Instead, I created a way to gradually create change was…
From Helplessness to Hope with Chronic Illness: 5 Strategies to Push Back Depression
I had a rough entry into the holidays. The fates conspired to send me a number of events over which I had little control. On top of already existing stress, plus having slammed it into overdrive to prepare for the holidays, my body (and mind) had had enough. So I got sick. Or rather, I…