Feeling as if there is no control over one's body or health, is one of the most frightening experiences a person may have. In fact, it can be so terrifying that at times it may be traumatic, causing a person to think about this loss of control over and over, and maybe even leading a person to create scary scenarios about the future. 

Finding the meaning in the now and remaining aware of any aliveness during experiences that feel deadening can be extremely helpful for getting through difficult times. This is a challenging task but when possible can bring much solace.

"Without impermanence, life could not be" (Thich Nhat Hanh). Most human beings struggle to accept the impermanence that accompanies living. People want to deny that youth is not forever and that death is inevitable.

"Passing" may be a more relevant construct for people living with invisible illnesses; however, it can be an issue to grapple with for all people who live with chronic illness, as illness can be more visible during some times and less during others. If a person who is living with illness is "passing," that would mean that to others, that person appears as seemingly "healthy."

Can one walk two paths side by side at the same time every day? Can one be in the present, engaged in the beauty of the mundane; the richness and value of daily life...work, hobbies, home and play, while at the same time always preparing, processing, and knowing about the time when things will inevitably change? 

If you have been living with a chronic physical condition then you are likely to have been in a position of having to explain why you cannot do something that to most people is seemingly effortless.

People who live with chronic physical illness often hear the question, "how do you feel?" On the surface this question appears to be quite simple, but for people living with illness this one question can be experienced as something very complicated. 

"Since being diagnosed with my illness, I no longer know who I am . So much has changed in my life. My daily routine is different, my energy levels completely altered, my physical strength diminished, my sleep tampered with, and my sense of self confused. Am I even the same person? I don't know who I am anymore."

Imagine a young adult in the prime of his/her life, feeling excited about growth and change. This person tackles responsibility day after day, pondering areas for growth, and taking strides to move forward in a desired direction. This path is tiring but wanted.

As the holidays have geared up, I notice how increasingly difficult it has been to find time for myself, such as sitting down and writing my blog. It has even been difficult to make space for myself to merely think about what I might want to write. Stepping away from my to-do list for just a moment, I become aware of the effects of the holiday craze.

A person may frequently fluctuate between feeling like a human being and feeling like some sort of body object when living with chronic physical illness. Such experiences may consist of pain or intense emotions, such as burning sensations in one's legs, a relentlessness nausea, and extreme sadness because of this. 

You hear the words coming out of your doctor's mouth. S/he is telling you your diagnosis, your treatment options, asking you if you have any questions...you hear it. You leave the doctor's office and you may feel shock, sadness, anger, or you may be in denial of the magnitude of the situation. 

Shame is such a powerful emotion, and usually an unwelcome and unpleasant one. Shame implies something wrong has been done and that one should feel badly about him/her self. A person who is ashamed often feels on the "outside", marginalized, and outcast from the mainstream. One would not expect a person with illness to feel ashamed of his/her self.