Scleroderma

Hosted by Jennifer Romero, jenniferforhealing is an excellent blog which seeks to spread awareness and provide support and hope for those who are suffering from Scleroderma and Lupus. In a recent post on Coping with Autoimmune Disease, Jennifer offered these four tips for dealing with and managing your disorder;

Take an inventory of your social life. It is important that you surround yourself with people who are going to be positive forces and enhance your life. Those who are  understanding and supportive are the ones you want to hang onto. I am not suggesting a mass dismissal of people from your life, but some discernment and possible elimination may be necessary when you are battling a serious and chronic illness. Allowing yourself to be surrounded by dysfunctional and poisonous people and situations can negatively affect your health. Those who are not supportive of you and your needs may need to be weeded out.

Manage your stress level. Stress is not a direct cause of autoimmune diseases, but it can contribute to flare-ups and makes these illnesses more difficult to control. Stress can come from many areas of your life; family, work, school, etc. You must learn to strike a healthy balance in order to manage and control your disease. You may need to make adjustments in one or more areas of your life. Enduring constant and debilitating stress is unwise and will cost you both physically and emotionally. If something is stressful to you, and you are able to, avoid it at all costs.

Focus on doing the things you enjoy most. Your personal happiness and taking care of yourself should be a priority for you. Although putting others first is both natural and noble, it can easily be overdone and end up robbing you of your own personal needs. Life is short, so pursue the things that make you happy and don’t put them off. Whether it is a big goal you have, or several small ones, go for it. Nothing is impossible if you have both the desire and will.

Don’t let yourself become discouraged. As a patient of an autoimmune disease, you will naturally experience ups and downs. You will have good days, bad days and everything in between. Some days you will find yourself stronger, and other days you will feel weaker. Cut yourself some slack on the bad days and recognize that you are human and have limits. Know your body and listen to it; it is your personal guide and barometer.

Visit jenniferforhealing for more great tips, insights, and more...