Living with the challenge of physical illness.

There may be many things we can no longer do because of illness. This might include going for a walk or playing sport as well as the numerous everyday things that make up our life. In severe illness this can include core tasks such as our ability to get up, care and cook for ourselves. We may also be unable to continue to work. This can lead to a loss of income and all the positive things that work previously offered us such as a role, a structure to our day and a regular income.

Illness not only affects us, it also affects those around you such as your family, neighbours and friends. Some may not know what to say to help us beyond initial "Get-well" cards and flowers. Sometimes the support you first received starts to fall away. There can be a cost to those who offer us care and support. Sometimes they struggle to cope in supporting us. Occasionally, our health care practitioners may not be able to provide the type of support you need. You may have many uncertainties, doubts and fears about the future.

Illness affects our activity levels and our ability to socialise. You may find that you end up cutting down or stopping things in life that previously gave you a sense of pleasure or achievement. You may become uncertain about what activities you can safely do, and which may worsen how you feel. You may do all sorts of helpful things to improve how you feel. However sometimes we can react in ways that worsen how we feel. For example, we may drink too much, or do other unhelpful behaviours that backfire and worsen how we feel. Sometimes we are so preoccupied by illness that illness dominates our life and other things are squeezed out.

Identifying problems in coping with longer-term physical illness:
Q. Am I currently facing the challenge physical illness?
Q. Do I have problems coping with how I feel physically?
Q. Do I feel demoralised, frustrated or ground down at times by how I feel physically? Q. Do I feel uncertain or anxious about the future impact of my illness?
Q. Have I had to stop or reduce doing things that previously gave me a sense of pleasure or achievement?
Q. Do I find it difficult keeping up with the core activities of life such as getting up, cooking, cleaning etc.?
Q. Is anyone I know unsure about how to best support me?
Q. Do you find that anyone who offers you support has started to drift away from you?
Q. Is my health care practitioner able to offer me the kind of supportive care I need?
Q. Is anyone I know who offers me care and support struggling to cope themselves at the moment?

If you have answered Yes to any of these questions, then your physical illness is having a significant impact on you or others.

Next step: To find out more you can read the workbook Understanding how we respond to physical health problems in the book Overcoming Anxiety.