Chronic Pain and Illness

Most of us didn’t hear about this growing up…

Chronic illness, that is.

We heard about cancer and other illnesses people died from, but we never heard of illness that was simply endless.

And all you know now is that this pain and illness govern your life.

When you wake up each morning, you’re hopeful. And then the pain and symptoms start again. It can be abdominal pain, joint pain, muscle pain, or the pain that comes from so much emotional heartache. It can be sharp and acute or a dull aching pressure that just won’t let up. It is hard not to be cranky with your spouse and children. You have to be on at work, so you lash out at home, when your family needs you.

You’re tired of living this way.

You know you’re depressed. You see what your pain and illness are doing to your family. You see their fear, uncertainty, and helplessness, all of which make your feelings of helplessness worse.

You’re looking for a way out of the dark.

Will there ever be an end to this suffering? Will you ever be happy and fulfilled? Will you ever feel like your life is worth living?

You wonder if you’ll ever feel normal again.

When you’ve tried it all but nothing seems to help…

Countless specialists have weighed in on diagnoses and treatments, but somehow nothing has managed to help. You’ve seen primary care, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor. The list goes on and on.

You’ve done yoga. You’ve tried to exercise. You’ve tried acupuncture. Sometimes they help – sometimes they don’t; but even when they help, nothing seems to last.

You feel like no one understands. There’s no one to reach out to, because no one gets it. It is so hard to battle the feelings of fear and anxiety alone. No one has answers. Or they all have different answers, and none of them work.