Email: rachelambrosecounselling@gmail.com

​As i have personal and professional experience of these conditions. I know how life changing they can be and how difficult it can be to cope with it all.  ​

 

If you feel talking about your experiences would help or have any questions about how I could help. Please go to the contact me page or press the link below. 

 

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​I have made a list of things that people with these illnesses and other chronic illnesses  may experience if any of these apply to you and you want someone to talk to, I would be happy to help:

• A diagnosis of any chronic illness can be life changing. As while it is reassuring to be recognized and validated by healthcare professionals through a diagnosis, it also implies a long-term illness and symptoms you have to manage.

• It can be exhausting to navigate medical appointments, referrals, and support.

•  In addition to adjusting to a new way of living, individuals may also experience grief for the life they led prior to their illness. Along with fears about worsening symptoms, future ability, finances, and purpose.

• You have to learn how to manage an array of symptoms and adapt to a new life with these symptoms.

• Fatigue—physical and mental—can be overwhelming, and pain may limit mobility. Sleep issues exacerbate discomfort, while energy management and pacing are challenging, especially with post-exertional malaise.

• Others often struggle to understand invisible symptoms, leading to frustration, social isolation, and misunderstandings.

•  They might think you should be getting better sooner or more able to do things.

• It is hard to explain that on the bad days you isolate yourself so that people don't even understand the symptoms you bare dealing with or what your flares ups look like.

• We can put on a brave face and try not to feel like a burden to friends and family.    

• You may need to rest after social activities, and explaining your limitations is difficult and how it can take it out of you. 

• The thing about having a hidden disability is that people don't see the symptoms and people can just see you as coping and think you are starting to get better. 

• Even supportive loved ones may not fully grasp your reality, causing feelings of guilt, frustration, and loss of friendships or independence.

• They can struggle to understand and may show frustrations about your limits.

• Friendships can fade with chronic illness as we cant be as present for friends as we used to be and our symptoms might mean we have to cancel plans with them. ​

• For some people they can feel frustrated by what they cant do and may feel guilty about not being able to do what you could in the past. Even though it is not their fault. Its ok to feel any of these feelings.

• We can be our own worst critics and compare ourselves to others and feel behind or think about what we should be doing with our time. 

• There is a lot of grief and anxiety- will I ever feel like myself again? You also think of what could have been and what you have lost because of your illness.  

•  The possible loss or reduced ability to work and financial strain can add stress and lead to a loss of independence and purpose. 

• We need to make a new connection with our body now and to forgive it and accept its limitations and learnt to embrace our bodies for surviving and keeping us going. ​

• Surviving alone is hard; being called "strong" can feel minimising of the constant effort and burden you carry. They don't always understand what we are carrying and how we are not strong by choice we are strong because we have to be.    ​

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