Chronic illness is different for every woman. Some women report having to mourn their former healthy self and this is where the term “loss of self” comes from. Your body or mind may have changed, it might not be able to do what it did before when it was healthy, and it may not be able to do what other people can do. Coming to terms with this is challenging.
In a world that glorifies the healthy able-bodied person it is difficult not to feel that your new normal is not acceptable. The mourning process is a healthy process towards self-acceptance.
In an article by an Angie Ebba, she describes her acceptance of her disability, comparing her “broken body” to a broken plate.
Self-acceptance is a journey that has many paths – here are some tips:
- Talk it out – find people that will listen to you without giving you too much advice.
- Accept the 5 stages of grief -denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
- Make adjustments – do your best to make hacks to adjust to your new life.
- Look after yourself – do self-care activities.
- Find hobbies that are fun and enjoyable that can make you feel good about where you are at the present time.
Helpful resources
https://www.healthline.com/health/my-disabled-body-is-not-a-burden#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-illness-self-love-on-bad-days#2
https://psychcentral.com/blog/8-ways-to-live-with-a-chronic-illness/
https://www.humankind-relationships.com.au/me/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10261981
https://www.healthline.com/health/grief-cycle-chronic-illness#1
http://www.cfsselfhelp.org/library/grieving-your-losses
https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/070714p18.shtml
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-13-452
https://themighty.com/2016/04/accepting-your-chronic-illness-5-stages-of-grief/
https://www.healthline.com/health/get-pain-taken-seriously#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-advocate-for-pain-management
https://www.healthline.com/health/accepting-messy-home-chronic-illness#1