The one important component to survive a life with an invisible illness…

Imagine you are a marathon runner, struggling at the half-way mark. You are fatigued, suffering from muscle cramps and out of breath. However, you are determined to complete the marathon and cross the finish line.

So, what spurs you onto the finish the marathon despite the pain and fatigue?  I can imagine that one thought that would help is to know that the end is in sight and awareness that the pain and fatigue will eventually end.

Life with an invisible chronic condition, however, is in no way alike to the marathon analogy above.  There is no knowledge that pain, fatigue or other symptoms will end when living with a chronic illness.  There is no finish line when living with an invisible chronic illness.  The question, therefore is if we do not know when the pain, fatigue or other symptoms that torments us will end then what help us get through our lives with a chronic illness?

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In my opinion, one crucial component of surviving life with a chronic illness is hope.

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Hope that despite living with debilitating and life-altering symptoms, that we can still lead a ‘normal’ and happy life.

Hope that the symptoms will eventually ease.  Hope that one day there may be even a cure.

For those living with an invisible chronic illness, the hope that they will be believed and taking seriously as many as of you will have experienced; many are disbelieving of any disabilities or conditions because there are no outward signs of there being anything wrong.

The hope that everything will be OK.

Hope is essential for every person, but perhaps it is more necessary for those battling chronic illnesses as it is vital for pulling us out of the deep trenches of pain, hurt and depression that living with an illness can cause.

Hope motivates us to push forward and to keep thriving through even the difficult times.  In my experience, when my symptoms are particularly severe and perhaps am stuck in bed because I am unable to get out due to weakness, it can help therefore to believe that tomorrow will be a better day.  Maintaining hope during hardships can make it slightly less difficult to bear.

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Before the diagnosis of a chronic illness, we have hope for the future and the plans we create because the possibilities that are ahead of us are endless.  However, after a diagnosis of a chronic illness, there is suddenly a huge question mark over our futures and the possibilities we envisioned for ourselves.

The future is uncertain.  Due to the uncertainty of the future, our faith waivers.  How do we maintain hope when the life we had known has suddenly changed?  How do we continue to hope when we experience more bad days than good?

The truth is that each moment we are in chronic pain or affected by the symptoms associated with our chronic illness, we choose our attitude towards it.

Ergo, we can choose to be negative and resentful towards our situation. Or we can choose hope and positivity.

I often used to focus on all the ways that my neurological condition limited my life.

Instead of focusing on everything that I am still able to do, I instead focused on the things that I was now unable to do.

This type of cognitive thinking not only can lead to depression and anxiety but can also make you feel inferior to your peers.

Now, I try and focus on everything that I am still able to do, and especially those that give me joy and happiness.

It instills me with hope as well as the reminder that despite the limitations placed upon my life, that I still have things to offer the world.

Anyone reading this who is is living with a chronic illness, know that you still have something to offer and have lots that you are still able to do despite there being things that you can no longer to do.

Illness is hard; there is no doubt about it.  From my experience, I know that trying to maintain hope can be extremely difficult as sometimes it can feel that there is nothing to be hopeful for.

But there are things out there that can be healing; things that can make you feel hope still exists even through the darkest of times.

Simple pleasures every day can help alleviate suffering from pain, nausea or fatigue.

These little delights do not have to be expensive or grandiose but can be found in the simplest of things, such as watching a favourite comedy, enjoying a cup of your favourite tea, hugging a pet or listening to a favourite album.  Whatever works for you.

Try writing your favourite things down in a notebook; often when living with illness we can forget, and reminding ourselves of the fun activities we enjoy can help bring joy and hope.

To conclude, hope is just one of the components to be able to survive life with chronic illness.

Hope is the line between living a happy life despite chronic illness or being consumed by the negativity that illness can create.

Allowing illness to consume our lives, and focusing on the limitations that it places upon us can, therefore, lead us to lose our identity to our conditions.

As the spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle said: “As long as you make an identity for yourself out of pain, you cannot be free of it.”

By choosing hope, however, we can lead a productive life filled with the pleasures that heal us and brings us joy and free from pain.

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