When we think about those people who exhibit survival skills, super people come to mind. No average, everyday person is automatically good at being a survivor. (Hint: It can be an acquired skill.)
Case in point, the stars of the Survivor tv show almost always seem to be a bit super-human both physically and mentally (at least manipulatively). Those qualities enchance their chances of becoming the season’s winner. I encourage you to think differently about yourself when it comes to your own survival skills. To survive and conquer Fibromyalgia (Fibro or FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), you don’t need to be super-human. Only resilient, smart about your decisions and brave.
On the Health Matters Show podcast today I’ll tell you:
1) Why you are still sick,
2) Why this approach that I’ve mentioned works well, and
3) How you can be successful in acquiring your own survival skills.And you won’t have to get on the survivor tv show to learn these things either! Just click on the audio button below and listen. Afterwards, I encourage you to leave a comment to this post if you’re succeeding at the goal of getting well. Tell us how you’re doing it. Tell us how you’re virtually starring as the lead in your own reality survivor tv show. YIPPEE!
Or tell us, too, if you’re having a tough time succeeding at your personal wellness goals. Those stories are valid, too, and need to be told.
So truth time… when you get down to the things that really matter, what kind of a survivor are you?
(Audio podcast 9 min 7 seconds)
People who suffer with these horrible, long term illnesses do not automatically have good hope about their chances of getting well. Much of the time they suffer in silence, languishing in the back rooms and bedrooms of their homes away from the public eye, trying to be non-chalant about their illness, not calling attention to how badly they hurt or how tough it can be some days to even take a shower. All the while, they scream inside, “Won’t somebody help me get over this hell-hole illness?!?”
People who suffer with Fibromyalgia have widespread body pain that is not easily relieved by a pain pill or the accepted yet superficial therapies like heat, touch, etc. Certainly massage and chiropractic care help a lot of people. I know I couldn’t have survived for over fifteen years without them. But historically, they do not cure or bring a quick end to the illness because they do not get to the root of the problem. (Plus, there are other symptoms to deal with, which are not quick or easy to reverse either. Take the symptom of brain fog.) Yes, Fibro symptoms can make life so tough that it’s sometimes hard to contemplate living anything even remotely close to a normal life, much less conquering or getting the best of this tough chronic illness.
The phrase ‘feeling like you’ve been beat with a stick’ comes to mind.
People who suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) endure exhausting fatigue that is unlike any gym workout they’ve ever had. Few people achieve actual, long term recovery. Instead, the symptoms of the worst physical, mental or emotional effort are seen through the eyes of total exhaustion that never seems to end. That leaves the sufferers wondering how they can survive another day, another week, another month. How can they eat normally? How can they sleep well enough to refresh and rejuvenate their body? How can they work or be a valuable member of society or a loving family? The questions can appear to be bigger and more plentiful than the answers.
The phrase ‘feeling like you’ve been run over by a Mack truck’ is common to hear in this case.
The truth is people with CFS have an incredible, daily challenge and yet most of them do survive against all odds. If this sounds like you, I commend you. You’re a survivor. However, if you don’t know how you can keep on keeping on, do not give up hope. Resources like you will find at the Health Matters Show and Get Well Health can help you to bring your recovery into clearer focus and become the “reality star” that you want to be.
Be well, be happy and survive, my friend. I’m Cinda Crawford, your host of the
Health Matters Show
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Annie 08.09.10 at 10:10 am
This was lovely, it is wonderful to be acknowledged as someone who suffers, instead of constantly being pushed under the rug.
We all have to find our own ways to survive, and even ways to thrive. It is a tricky beast, these illnesses!
xo
Annie
Cinda Crawford 08.10.10 at 6:42 pm
Annie, thanks so much for visiting the Health Matters Show and commenting on this post about survival skills. I like your emphasis on not just surviving, but thriving. Getting to the finish line in one piece and feeling like you’ve run the good race is important to us all. Come back to visit often
) Cinda