Chronic illness can be a difficult thing to deal with, below we have two accounts of people dealing with chronic illness and how they made life a bit easier:
"During my 4 years of study at Heriot-Watt, I was diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses. A combination of depressive episodes, chronic pain, and IBS meant was often self-conscious of the way I smelled or the way I looked. Even with a bathroom 3 feet away from me in halls, sometimes showering felt like an impossible task. Wet-wipe baths and dry shampoo became my best friends.
Something I found particularly unhelpful from my peers was the assumption that I was lazy or flaky. I would miss lectures, social events, and shifts at work either because I couldn’t cope with the joint pain, or I found the levels of anxiety I was experiencing to be overwhelming.
What was helpful, though, was when my friends shared their own experiences with me. This made me feel much less alone and like I had a support network of people who really understood the daily struggles I was having."
Below are some things to keep in mind when trying to be a mindful friend:
Helpful?
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Being slightly pushy with making plans or getting up for breakfast but also being understanding without pushing too much ?
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Being understanding when plans are cancelled or rearranged ?
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Just being there, not needing to have busy plans but just sitting and watching tv together?
Unhelpful?
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Suggesting “easy” solutions (get a hot water bottle/go for a walk/take paracetamol)?
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Assuming tasks were as easy for me as it was for the other person ?
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Suggesting going to the GP or therapy, one method doesn’t work for everyone?