Dear Alexa I was badly bullied by a former work colleague in February 2014 which resulted in me leaving my employment. At the time I was employed, Human Resources were aware of the problems but …
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Category: Stress
Fear and Hope: The Hidden Realities of Being Chronically Ill In the Time of Coronavirus
Right now is especially hard on those of us who are sick already. The safety nets that each person has – medical care, social support, financial security, and access to basic necessities, among others – …
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Distract Your Pain Away: How to Make the Most of Your Time at Home with Chronic Illness
Living with daily pain can feel very limiting. The list of activities I can no longer do without increasing my pain levels or triggering flare-ups, which includes working, typing, holding a book, vacuuming, running, painting, …
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Coping With Uncertainty: Going Where the Flow of Your Chronic Illness Takes You
Spring lends itself to new beginnings, from planning spring cleaning to starting up projects, to contemplating healthier choices. When you live with chronic pain, it’s easy to decide on a new initiative, but difficult to …
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The Pet Prescription: How a Stray Cat Named Sara Helped Me Learn To Be Braver & To Live More Fully Each Day, Despite Chronic Illness
Hello, I’m Sara, and I’m an affectionate, but shy, 3-year-old grey tabby. I like pillow forts, spying out the window and perching on your shoulder when you sleep. Just over a year ago, we adopted …
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Dead End: Finding the Next, Best Option Right Now When You’ve Run Out of Treatments to Try
What do you do to manage your illness symptoms when you’ve tried the usual treatments but they aren’t working? That’s a question I’ve had to consider recently. In the last several months, I’ve been trying …
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A Compassionate Chronic Christmas: How to Extend the Holiday Spirit Towards Yourself This Year
When I think of the holiday season, two competing feelings immediately come up – nostalgic happiness at the thought of celebrating with loved ones (as well as the Christmas cookies), and impending panic at the …
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Why Hard Work Doesn’t Pay Off in Chronic Illness: How to Stop Pushing Through Your Fatigue and Give Yourself Permission to Rest
I’ve never been a big fan of napping. I was that overexcited kid, running around, yelling “No! I am not tired!” Moving on to the next thing I want to do has always seemed more …
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Becoming the Author of Your Own Story: How Sharing Your Health Journey Can Improve Your Emotional Wellbeing & Increase Resilience
The onset of my fibromyalgia came on gradually, as my symptoms snowballed over an 18 month period. I tried everything to accommodate my pain and fatigue so that I could continue my graduate school program, …
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Why It’s Okay Not To Work When You Live with Chronic Illness
The biggest change in my life that followed my fibromyalgia diagnosis was leaving my career because I just physically could not keep up any longer with the demands of the job. I’ve never felt more …
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