Chronic Illness Counseling O’Fallon MO

So your spouse is chronically ill and you’re having a tough time dealing with things.  This type of counseling can look pretty different based on all the circumstances.   There will be a need for counseling for the person with the illness as well as all those that will be caregivers.

The first step would be helping the client deal with accepting or understanding his or her illness.  There tends to be overwhelm from all the new and life changing information there is to take in.  There will also be some learning in how to compensate for this new illness.  One of the most important things to consider when dealing with chronic illness is the support system.  Is there a support system in place and is it as effective as it could/should be.

When a person a first diagnosed with a chronic illness, they experience grief.  There is a loss of the life they once had as well as their thoughts on how their future was going to play out.  The 5 stages of grief are: 1) Denial 2) Anger 3) Bargaining 4) Depression 5) Acceptance.  The most important thing to be aware of is getting stuck in any one area for too long.  This is a change of life that is, well, life changing.  Another thing that happens is the person can struggle with their purpose or value in life.  Maybe they were the “bread winner” of the family and now they are reduced to collecting a disability check.  They too struggle with finding meaning in their life outside of the demands of managing their pain or attending medical appointments.  Sometimes it’s hard separating their self-worth from their new disability or ability to earn.

Chronic Illness Counselor O’Fallon MO

Another problem faced with Chronic Illness is that feeling of needing to “prove” your disability to others because on the outside you look like you’ve got it all together, but the pain and illness is on the inside and it’s real.  Ultimately, you just want to be heard and you want people to understand that you really are ill and that doing daily activities is a struggle, even though you have a smile on your face.  Empathy for the person that is chronically ill is key.  They may not look like they’re struggling, but it takes every ounce of energy they have to just stand up straight and smile at times.

It’s also going to be important for the family members involved with a person who has a chronic illness to seek counseling.  They need to process what is going to change and how those changes are going to affect them.  How we respond in the face of adversity determines a lot about the level of “misery” coming over the next months, years, etc.  Acceptance of how things are now, the new normal is key to a life that will be fulfilling in the face of adversity.  Resistance to how things are causes nothing but more pain and anguish.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a Chronic Illness in O’fallon MO or if you are a caretaker of someone with Chronic Illness in O’Fallon MO, Jamie Morgan specialized in helping people cope with the adversity and new normal people are faced with when dealing with Chronic Illness.  You can call and set up an appointment at 636-400-3311 or email at myfamilycounselor@gmail.com