Out of the Darkness

A Guide to Climbing Out of the Darkness when Chronic Illness Has You Down

Many of our readers are coming from the same place: Life with chronic illness. We can all relate to the ongoing debate in our minds, "Should we have done more?, Should we go to yet another specialist?, Is this next opinion the one that counts as 'too many'?, Am I crazy for wanting answers?" We struggle with these ongoing thoughts and wonder if we will ever have what we deem to be a "normal life". As I often say, none of us live in that elusive land called "Perfect". Often times, we find that our world is tumbling out of control. Stress, hospitalizations, trying to balance school, work and play wreak havoc on our lives. You might have already been there. I have already been there before........that dark recess of gloom. Thankfully, I've always managed to make my way out of the darkness and back into the light.

Climbing out of the dark place we sometimes find ourselves in can be very difficult. Once we get out of the dark pit, it can also be difficult not to backslide right into that same dark place we try so desperately to avoid. Life with chronic illness is a challenge. Not only do we have the challenges all other parents on the planet face, we also have to fit in extra medical appointments and procedures for our children. If your family is like mine, you are also performing various medical procedures at home on a daily basis. Lastly, let us not forget the insurance and billing stresses along with the stress of financial responsibility. It is enough to push anyone over the edge.

So, what can one do to keep from falling down the slippery slope into the darkness? I certainly do not have all of the answers, but I do have a few ideas that have made a difference in my own life. The one thing that has made the biggest difference in my life has been to pay attention to my own spiritual needs. Most of us do an okay job of taking care of our physical needs, but more often than not, tend to neglect our spiritual needs.