Acceptance of Chronic Illness | Arthritis Information
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For chronically ill patients, giving up the hope that they will get better may actually lead to more happiness, U.S. researchers suggest.
"Hope is an important part of happiness, but there's a dark side of hope. Sometimes, if hope makes people put off getting on with their life, it can get in the way of happiness," Dr. Peter A. Ubel, director of the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, said in a university news release.
He and his colleagues studied patients who'd just had a colostomy, which means their colons were removed and they had to have bowel movements in a pouch outside the body. At the time of the surgery, some patients were told the procedure was reversible and they'd have a second operation in a few months to reconnect their bowels. Other patients were told the colostomy was permanent.
The patients were followed for six months, and the researchers found that those without hope of regaining normal bowel function were happier than those with reversible colostomies.
"We think they were happier because they got on with their lives. They realized the cards they were dealt, and recognized that they had no choice but to play with those cards," Ubel said. "The other group was waiting for their colostomy to be reversed. They contrasted their current life with the life they hoped to lead, and didn't make the best of their current situation."
The study, published in the November edition of Health Psychology, also may explain why people whose spouse dies often recover better emotionally over time than those who get divorced, the researchers said.
That's because people whose husband or wife dies have closure, while those who get divorced may still have hope for some chance of reconciliation, they explained.
More information
The American Psychological Association has more about chronic illness and mental health.
http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=632705For me it was the grudging acceptance of the disease and learning how to manage my energy reserves. Then it was all about sucking up the pain as much as I could so that I could resume most of the activities I was formerly involved with. It was sad parting with certain activities that I couldn't participate in, but I told myself to reframe it and get a substitute.
As hard and contrary as it is, I think it's all about having a determined and positive attitude to not let it control you.
One of the things I've observed is that those who were happy in their lives PRIOR to diagnosis tend to get the "happiness" back after diagnosis. Those who were miserable PRIOR to being diagnosed seem to have a worse time of getting on with life.
[QUOTE=Sam1234]For me it was the grudging acceptance of the disease and learning how to manage my energy reserves. Then it was all about sucking up the pain as much as I could so that I could resume most of the activities I was formerly involved with. It was sad parting with certain activities that I couldn't participate in, but I told myself to reframe it and get a substitute.
As hard and contrary as it is, I think it's all about having a determined and positive attitude to not let it control you.
One of the things I've observed is that those who were happy in their lives PRIOR to diagnosis tend to get the "happiness" back after diagnosis. Those who were miserable PRIOR to being diagnosed seem to have a worse time of getting on with life.
[/QUOTE]
I was diagnosed about 18mos ago and I don't think I've completely come to terms with this disease yet. I keep thinking that I should be pain/symptom free since I'm on enbrel, mtx, and nsaids. I'm not though. I still have pain everyday. If I over-do it, I'm likely to run a fever on top of everything else. I guess there is a gap between what I can do and what I think I should be able to do. Honestly I'm just not sure how to get my brain and body on the same page.
I was a happy person prior to RA and I'm still essentially a happy person. I guess its the
acceptance of my disease that I feel I'm missing.Leila,
For what it's worth, acceptance didn't come easily or fast for me. I was in denial and fought it every step of the way for a couple years. Then one day I just decided that it was unrealistic to believe that I would be cured.
That you're still in pain should be of concern. Maybe you've reached the tolerance threshhold of your NSAIDS and need something else or in addition to. Time to discuss with your rheumatologist.
I've got it, I own it.
Thank you Sam. Although I can't really explain why, you made me feel better.
Most of my on going pain is due to the damage in my knees. I do take vicodin for that. My wrists, shoulders, and right hip are always close behind. You are right, it may be time to switch NSAIDs. Having a firm diagnosis for me was validation. I finally had proof that I wasn't lazy, I wasn't a hypochondriac, I wasn't mentally disturbed begging for attention and on and on. My ability to accept my disease and live life depends entirely on how I feel. If I am in pain or dealing with some RA crisis or another surgery, or even an illness compounded by RA, my outlook on life and acceptance of things is very low, but I don't suppose this is any surprise.
Thanks Lynn.
Leila,
Sometimes it just feels better to know that someone understands what you're going through.
After 15 years of using NSAIDS I've found that rotating them every few years when their efficacy wears off does much to improve my status. [I refuse to use Vicodin because my brain goes blotto.]
Celebrex is my NSAID of choice. But it wears off [for me] every 18-24 months. One day I was in my RD's waiting room waiting for my appointment and next to me was the pharmaceutical rep who, it turned out, was from the Celebrex manufacturer. We got to talking and he told me that a number of people found that Celebrex didn't work as well after they'd been using it for a couple years, but that they found that by switching to another NSAID for a couple months, then switching back to Celebrex, the Celebrex worked again.
So I discussed this with my RD and we tried it - and sure enough - it worked.
I hate going on other NSAIDS, even for just a couple months, because they all tend to hit me in the gut. On the plus side they make me nauseous and I tend to lose a couple pounds. I've reframed my experience and look at those "off months" in a positive light because I know I'll be a couple pounds lighter after I finish the cycle. So that's a good thing.
Do discuss this loss of efficacy with your RD. And don't ever feel you're stuck with one drug for the rest of your life. I'm sure a lot of people here can add their experiences with what I call "drug roulette." It takes time for the body to adjust to the drugs, so patience is important.
Good luck!
Thanks again Sam! I am putting NSAID rotation on the list of things to discuss at my next appointment.
I have been challenged to give a testimony at my church on the
blessing of living with a chronic illness. This has been tricky lately, as I have not been feeling blessed. But, I'll tell you, the old me would never have been online sharing anything remotely personal. The old me would never have reached out to anyone for help. The old me would never have experienced the feeling of wonder that a complete stranger would take the time to write a message meant to help me. So, for that, I am so
grateful.Leila,
What a stunning question [about finding the positive aspects of having a chronic illness]. My first reaction would be to yell, NONE, NONE, NONE.
However, in retrospect, here's what I came up with:
1. For the first time in my life I have learned to be patient.
2. I've learned time management in a whole new way by learning to pace my energy output.
3. The pain has caused a change in my exercise routine, which means I now walk a lot and see the beauty in nature all around me.
4. I've learned that being around people who are less fortunate than I makes me ever so grateful for what I DO have.
5. I've learned that people need to reach out......just as I need to reach out, and that helping someone is a special gift with its own set of special rewards.
6. I've learned to accept the help and consideration of other people, where in the past I was one of those, "Don't bother, I'll do it myself" kind of people. In short, I've learned that people love to be needed and who and I to deprive them of giving???
7. I've learned to be my own advocate in matters of health.
8. This disease has caused me to slow down and really see life for what it really is.
I think the last item really packs a wollop.
Number 8 is right on, I've had to really slow down.
It is the little things in life that matter, RA has taught me that. Its has also taught me patience
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