When you think of the termchronic illness,what comes to mind?
Many of us likely picture someone in constant physical pain or who’s always under the weather.
Those mental images can definitely be accurate.
Verywell / Julie Bang
But mental health conditions and some skin conditions like psoriasis count, too.
In doing so, we can learn to be moreempatheticabout what others are going through.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
So, why is knowing all of the above even important?
Well, for starters, learning informationanddiscussing sensitive topics is one of the first steps in shutting downstigma.
Conversations put shame to bed and normalize what people are going through.
Plus, with some more understanding of chronic illness, we can learn to extend more empathy and compassionsomethingeveryonedeserves.
This includes both building healthy (and helpful) support systems and cultivating self-love.
Body neutrality has also been shown to improve self-esteem for those living with a chronic condition or disability.
We can all relate, right?
There’s a lot of trust and intimacy in community care.
She recalls how living with psoriasis, a visible chronic illness, made her feel different from others.
I was never like anyone around me…My psoriasis…was incredibly visible.
And my needs were different than other people.
she learned to filter out the people who didnt viewfriendshipin the same way she did.
Chopra says that theSpoon Theoryreally comes in handy when shes trying to explain her energy limitations to others.
But first, what is the Spoon Theory?
Think of this theory like the battery on your phone.
Then, doing life stuff throughout the day costs us more energy.
Because our bodies are constantly changing, body neutrality ismore realistic and achievable than body positivity.
Let’s face it: loving how you look 24/7 is a tall ask.
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