Chronic Inspiration: 8 Quotes to Post Around Your House

Feeling adequately supported when you have a chronic illness may seem ... The pain and suffering that came with thinking about what my ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeMentalHealthCopingwithLonelinessMentalHealthinFocusFindaTherapistNewsletterPERSPECTIVEChronicIllnessLeftMeAngryandIsolated.These8QuotesTransformedMyLife.WrittenbyDenaAngela—UpdatedonApril18,2019Sometimeswordsareworthathousandpictures.ShareonPinterestHealthandwellnesstoucheachofusdifferently.Thisisoneperson’sstory.Feelingadequatelysupportedwhenyouhaveachronicillnessmayseemunattainable,especiallysincechronicillnessesarelong-lastingandcansignificantlyimpactyourlife.Ididn’tthinkIcouldeverfeelassupportedandatpeaceasIamnow.Iwentthroughmostofmylifefeelingisolated,lonely,andangrybecauseofthewaymylifewasconsumedbymyillnesses.Ittookahugetollonmymentalandphysicalhealth,especiallybecauseflaresofmyautoimmunediseasearetriggeredbystress.Severalyearsago,Icommittedtochangingmylifeinapositiveway.Insteadoffeelingdestroyedbychronicillness,Iwantedtofindawaytofeelfulfilled.Quotes,mottos,andmantrasendedupplayingahugeroleinthistransformation.Ineededconstantreminderstohelpmeacceptmyreality,practicegratitude,andremindmethatitwasokaytofeelthewaythatIdid.So,Istartedtomakesignstoputonmywallsandmirrors,andfilledthemwithwordsthathelpedtopullmeoutofthemindsetIhadbeeninformyentirelife.Hereareeightofmyfavorites:“Talkingaboutourproblemsisourgreatestaddiction.Breakthehabit.Talkaboutyourjoys.”—RitaSchianoWhileitcanbedifficultnottofocusonthephysicalpainandexhaustionIfeel,there’sonlysomuchIcansayaboutitbeforeIstartmakingmyselfsufferunnecessarily.I’vefoundthatit’sstillimportanttotalkaboutflaresandfeelingextrasick,butit’sevenmoreimportanttostop.Thepainisrealandvalid,butafterI’vesaidwhatIneedtosay,itservesmemoretofocusonthegood.ShareonPinterest“Thegrassisgreenerwhereyouwaterit.”—NeilBarringhamComparisonmademefeelextremelyisolated.Thisquotehashelpedmetorememberthateveryonehasproblems,eventhosewhosegrassseemsgreener.Ratherthanlongingforsomeoneelse’sgreengrass,Ifindwaystomakeminegreener.“Everydaymaynotbegood,butthereissomethinggoodineveryday.”—UnknownOndayswhenI’vefeltlikeIcan’tbounceback,orevenonesthatIdreadfromthemomentIwakeup,Ialwaystrytopushmyselftofindatleastone‘good’everyday.WhatI’velearnedisthatthereisalwaysagood,butmostofthetime,we’retoodistractedtoseeit.Takingnoticeofthelittlethingsthatmakeyourlifeworthlivingcan,honestly,belife-changinginandofitself.“Mypathmaybedifferent,butIamnotlost”—UnknownIkeepthisquoteinmindoftenwhenIgetstuckplayingthecomparisongame.I’vehadtogoaboutdoingcertainthingsdifferentlythanmostpeopleforalongtime—oneofthemostrecentbeinggraduatingcollegeafullyearlate.Attimes,Ifeltinadequateincomparisontomypeers,butIrealizedthatI’mnotontheirpath,I’monmine.AndIknowIcangetthroughitwithoutanyoneshowingmehowit’sdonefirst.Oneofthehappiestmomentsinlifemaybewhenyoufindthecouragetoletgoofwhatyoucan’tchange.”—UnknownAcceptingthatmyillnessisnotgoingaway(lupuscurrentlydoesn’thaveacure)wasoneofthemostdifficultthingsI’veeverhadtodo.ThepainandsufferingthatcamewiththinkingaboutwhatmydiagnoseswouldmeanformyfuturewasoverwhelmingandmademefeellikeIhadabsolutelynocontrolofmylife.Likethisquotesays,havingthecouragetoletgoofthefalsesenseofcontrolisvital.Allwecandotobeatpeaceinthefaceofanincurableillnessistoletitbeandknowthatit’snotallentirelyinourcontrol.“Everythingwillbeokayintheend.Ifit’snotokay,it’snottheend.”—JohnLennonThisisoneofmyfavoritequotesbecauseitofferssomuchhope.TherehavebeensomanytimesthatI’vefeltlikeI’dneverfeelbetterthanhowIdidinthatmoment.Makingittothenextdayfeltimpossible.Butitwasn’ttheend,andIhavealways,alwaysmadeitthrough.“Youweregiventhislifebecauseyouarestrongenoughtoliveit.”—UnknownThisquotehasalwaysencouragedmetorecognizemyownstrength.Ithelpedmetobelieveinmyselfandbegintoseemyselfasa‘strong’person,ratherthanallofthethingsthatItoldmyselfIwasbecauseofmychronicillnesses.ShareonPinterest“I’veseenbetterdays,butI’vealsoseenworse.Idon’thaveeverythingthatIwant,butIdohaveallIneed.Iwokeupwithsomeachesandpains,butIwokeup.Mylifemaynotbeperfect,butIamblessed.”—UnknownOneofthemostvaluablecopingskillsIusewhenI’mhavingabaddayisfindingappreciationforthesmallestthings.Ilovethisquotebecauseitremindsmenottotakeanythingforgranted,evensimplywakingupinthemorning.Fromchildhoodtoadulthood,IharboredresentmenttowardmybodyfornotcooperatingwiththelifeIwantedtolive.Iwantedtobeontheplayground,notsickinbed.Iwantedtobeatthefairwithmyfriends,nothomewithpneumonia.Iwantedtobeexcellinginmycollegecourses,notfrequentinghospitalsfortestingandtreatment.Itriedtoopenupaboutthesefeelingstomyfriendsandfamilyovertheyears,evenbeinghonestaboutfeelingenviousoftheirgoodhealth.Havingthemtellmethattheyunderstoodmademefeelslightlybetter,butthatreliefwasshort-lived.Eachnewinfection,missedevent,andhospitalvisitbroughtmebacktofeelingsoincrediblyalone.Ineededsomeonewhocouldconstantlyremindmethatitwasokaythatmyhealthismessy,andthatIcanstilllivefullydespiteit.Ittookawhileformetofindher,butIfinallyknownowthatthatsomeoneisme.Byexposingmyselfdailytovarioussupportivequotesandmantras,Ichallengedalltheanger,jealousy,andsadnessinsideofmetofindhealinginthewordsofothers—withoutneedinganyonetobelieveinthemandremindme,besidesme.Choosegratitude,letgoofthelifeyourillnessmayhavetakenfromyou,findwaystoliveasimilarlifeinawaythat’sacceptabletoyou,showcompassionforyourself,andknowthatattheendoftheday,everythingisgoingtobeokay.Wecannotchangeourillnesses,butwecanchangeourmindsets.ShareonPinterestDenaAngelaisanaspiringauthorwhostronglyvaluesauthenticity,service,andempathy.Shesharesherpersonaljourneyonsocialmediainhopesofraisingawarenessandlesseningisolationforindividualslivingwithchronicphysicalandmentalillnesses.Denahassystemiclupuserythematosus,rheumatoidarthritis,andfibromyalgia.HerworkhasbeenfeaturedinWomen’sHealthmagazine,Selfmagazine,HelloGiggles,andHerCampus.Thethingsthatmakehermosthappyarepainting,writing,anddogs.ShecanbefoundonInstagram.WrittenbyDenaAngela—UpdatedonApril18,2019ReadthisnextThisCommonAnxietySymptomMakesMeFeelLikeRealityIsSlippingAwayMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDDerealizationanddepersonalizationcancauseyoutofeellikeyou’reoutsideyourbody,orthatthingsorpeoplearoundyouaren'treal.Doctors…READMOREWhatAretheEffectsofAlcoholontheBody?Whathappenstoyourbodyafteryoutakeyourfirstsipofalcohol?Learntheeffectsofdrinkingonyourbodyandmentalwell-being.READMOREWhyThis15-PoundWeightedBlanketIsPartofMyAnti-AnxietyRoutineMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDJamieFriedlander'sanxietycausedalotofsleepproblems.So,shesetouttoseeifagravityblanketwouldhelphergetamorepeacefulnight's…READMOREHowIRecoveredfromCripplingAnxietyMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDMillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldexperienceanxietyorhaveananxietydisorder.Forsome,it'ssocripplingitmakesitimpossibletogotowork…READMOREMythvs.Reality:WhatDoesaPanicAttackFeelLike?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDTherearemanymisconceptionsaboutwhatpanicattackslookandfeellike.Understandingpanicattacksandlearninghowbesttosupportyourselfand…READMORE