Hello fellow Spoonies,
Today's blog post is about the difference between being happy and being healthy. Chronically Ill people are still able to be happy despite being unhealthy.
As someone with a Chronic Illness, I always find it hard to explain to people that I am ill constantly, I am always in pain and I am never in good health. So when people see me enjoying myself, smiling and being happy, I'm always faced with the question "are you feeling better?" Or even worse "I'm glad you're feeling better."
No.
As I have struggled daily with my health for the past couple of years, I have had to learn to accept that I will never be healthy, but I still have to carry on with my life like everybody else. I have many different coping methods, and a lot of them include doing things that make me happy such as:
Spending time with friends and family,
Singing along to music in the car,
Enjoying a cocktail night,
Going out to a club or bar,
Going on trips to theme parks, the theatre or to do outdoor activities.
Spending time with friends and family,
Singing along to music in the car,
Enjoying a cocktail night,
Going out to a club or bar,
Going on trips to theme parks, the theatre or to do outdoor activities.
All of these things make me happy, and admittedly, some of them are at the expense of my health. However, despite me having fun and enjoying myself, I am still in pain and I am still not "cured" or "better". Enjoying myself and doing things I like can be used as distraction and therefore my pain is not at the forefront of my mind.
Sometimes Chronically Ill people have to make the decision between being either happy OR healthy, because doing things that make us happy can cause the pain and exhaustion to get worse, but it can be worth it. Other times, we have to turn down the opportunity to do things that make us happy because we have to put our health first. This can be a very hard decision at times, and I don't always make the right decision. But that is something I will learn over time.
For those who do not suffer from Chronic Illness, please understand that Spoonies can be both Happy and Unhealthy and sometimes we have to choose between Happy or Healthy.
As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated :)
Love and Spoons,
Allie x x x
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