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ME/CFS Stress – Letting Things Go

10/23/2012

2 Comments

 
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Lately, the amount of stress in my life has been on the rise.  It’s primarily a function of too many people and needs pressing for my time and energy as we’re in the midst of multiple life passages.  But my situation now is always put into perspective when I think about the level of stress I felt when I was struggling with ME/CFS.  By comparison, today’s stress is a stroll on the beach.

My understanding of all the variables that were affecting me during my illness is clearer now that I have my mental focus back along with the long view.  One piece that I get now is how much stress I was under in addition to the underlying physical illness that knocked me down (for more info on my version of ME/CFS, check under Further Lessons on the website menu bar).  We know that a physically healthy person can be undone by stress.  It takes a heavy toll on our biological and nervous systems.  When those systems are already ‘on tilt’ and not able to cope with ordinary daily demands as they are with ME/CFS, a heavy load of stress can keep you from recovery.  For me, the ME/CFS stress came from every direction – some self inflicted and some imposed by others needs and judgments.  It was like a knock out punch when you’re already on your knees.

The only way I was able to recover was to let all the stress go.  And to let go of all the stressful things that accompanied it.  Of course, I didn’t do this right away.  That would have been too easy.  Instead I struggled and tried to handle everything for a few rocky, push/crash years before I finally understood how damaging all the stress was in addition to my physical version of ME/CFS.

So today, I make use of my hard won ME/CFS knowledge about stress when I deal with stressors as a healthy person.  I do what I CAN do to move my life along and I allow myself some serious slack about all the rest of it – I let things go.  How do you deal with the stress as you struggle with ME/CFS?  What are your successful strategies?  Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,

Martha

2 Comments
Tim Boland
10/28/2012 06:49:43 am

I remember once when I went to the doctor, Martha, before I became ill with my current illness and being told that about 70% of all issues for which a doctor is seen are stress related.

The other day, I read a remarkable article about a man of Greek origin, who had lived in the U.S. for a number of years. He had been diagnosed with cancer, and was told he had a short time to live. He was scheduled for chemotherapy and all of the things that attend to battling his illness.

Instead, he made a remarkable life journey by going back to Greece, where he said he wished to die in his home country. When he arrived home, he didn’t impose on himself a time schedule, to get up by a certain time, but as many there, slept until he awoke naturally. He took a long afternoon nap in the afternoon, and ate a diet rich in vegetables, beans, olive oil and some wine. Evenings were times to get together with friends, and meals were time to share with others in conversations.

What I got from the article is how relaxing into life and enjoying it, not pushing and following a more unstructured life can make such a difference in not only how long we live – he’s 97 – but how much more enjoyable the journey can be. Having less stress can be a true blessing in our lives, and we can do something about how much we ‘stress’ about things which happen in our lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html?src=me&ref=general

Reply
Martha
10/28/2012 07:55:45 am

What a wonderful story Tim! Thanks for sharing.

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    Hello,  I'm
    Martha Kilcoyne

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    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

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