Lupus: Support and Survival
Lupus and Emotions
"You never lose peace once you find it.
Peace sometimes lies hidden beneath a veil of unkind thoughts, confusion, or pain.
Shake loose the discontent from the veil and peace is readily accessible."
~ Rion ~A Lupus Support Group is a community seeking to live its life as a people dedicated to welcoming newcomers, sharing our gifts, listening to and learning from each other, recognizing our common frailties through mutual forgiveness and encouragement, as well as supporting and nourishing each other to meet the challenges Lupus has made in our lives.
Lupus not only affects our physical lives, but it affects our ability to interact with other people as well. We sometimes have difficulty relating with “normal” people because we are in such pain from the disease.
Pain affects the mind. Pain changes our emotional status from balanced to unbalanced. No one person who deals with pain on a daily basis can have a positive outlook all the time. Once we realize this fact, and recognize how our pain affects our other emotions and how we react to other people, only then can we try to control our emotions.
Like it or not, because we ARE Lupus patients, we have become mental patients as well.
Our mental outlook on life has changed. It is just part of having Lupus. It is one of the side effects of having Lupus.Our emotions have become supercharged.. so to speak.
We all feel the intense stage of an emotion.
We are all on edge with our emotions.
Our emotions are in a constant state of agitation because of the pain we have to endure.If we feel sad, it escalates quickly into a deep depression.
If we feel glad, we become euphoric.
If we get a bit irritated with a person, we become very angry, very quickly.This is part of having lupus. It is a another symptom we must deal with.
Emotional outbursts are very common for patients of any debilitating disease, but Lupus because of its nature renders us into emotional cripples -- if we allow it.We all need support for the times when our emotions have taken control, but we need to realize, we CAN control our lives if we are diligent in recognizing our emotions before they escalate into the intense patterns.
We all need to realize how our emotions affect us now.
We are different people than we were "Before Lupus", therefore we react differently to stimuli than we used to.We are in pain now, and human nature being what it is, it is easier for us to quickly fall into detrimental patterns of actions. These patterns affect our lives and the lives of others around us.
If we are not careful, we lash out at others first, then think about the repercussions when it is too late to do so.. after we have hurt someone's feelings or have done something that is harmful to ourselves.
Not only does Lupus strip us of our physical lives, but our mental lives are affected as well, but -- only if we ALLOW it.
Recognize your anger before you hurt someone's feelings, or do bodily harm.
Recognize your depression before you do yourself harm.
Recognize your euphoric happiness before you do something foolish.By being aware of our emotions, we can control one aspect of a life that is being controlled by Lupus.
© April 2002 Brenda “Rion” Sewell
A Little Kindness
A little kindness and confidence in people can make a great deal of difference to them and how they approach life. The person who is struggling with an illness, or one who is struggling to overcome an addiction needs, not only the courage to quell the fears, but the strength to persevere and the resolve to overcome.
A kind word from a friend, or even from a stranger, can make the difference between their failure and their success. They may be on the verge of giving up the battle, or giving up on life completely. A tender word of compassion may give them the strength to make it through one more day and in that day a cure may be found or a solution to a problem will present itself.
Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and trophies, victories and fanfare. They are measured in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people are not always the people who win, but the people who don't give up when they lose.
So when you have a problem you feel you cannot solve, ask for help. Give help freely to someone you know is in need; helping someone is a gift you give not only to them, but to yourself as well. You, too, can help the dreams survive.
© January 2001 Brenda “Rion” Sewell
Power
Words have such power. You can wield them as a sword and they cut as deep. In talking with people on the internet, we sometimes forget when we ask a question or make a statement, the person on the receiving end may not fully understand the point you are trying to convey.
In our dealings with people from around the globe, we need to be mindful of our sentence structures and use of words. A word in our part of the world may hold a completely different definition on the opposite side of the globe. We may unknowingly hurt their feelings. They may believe us to be condescending, when in reality we were using what we believed was humor.
In speaking before thinking, or speaking in anger, we may unknowingly close a door. We may close a door in the mind holding the very facts we were so diligently searching for in our quest for insight and knowledge.
By choosing our words carefully, we will extinguish the flames of anger before they begin. In giving our conversations our full attention, we may open the door to our enlightenment.
Love your friends like your own soul. Protect them like the pupil of your eye. Friendship is a gift as precious as sight. It is one gift that is given and shared.
© February 2001 Brenda “Rion” Sewell
Contact the Lupus Foundation of America or the local Chapter that serves your area for more information about lupus, or the programs and services the LFA offers including support group information and physician referral.
Lupus Foundation of America., Inc.
1300 Piccard Drive, Suite 200
Rockville, MD 20850-4303
301-670-9292 800-558-0121
http://www.lupus.orgInformation gathered from :
http://health.yahoo.com/health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Disease_Feed_Data/LupusThank you fellow Lupies! With a very special thank you to Deanna!
May your days be pain free!
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I do not mind sharing but please ask me first.
© 1998 - 2004 Brenda "Rion" Sewell
Email me at brendarion at cfl.rr.com