Using Mindfulness Through Illness

[GirlAloneWithHerself]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since my last post!

I'm looking for some more advice/guidance/support from you lovely people. This morning, I got the news that I have colitis, a condition which probably means I'll be on a substantial amount of medication and a (very) strict diet for the rest of my life.

Despite thinking that I'd actually been relieved to receive a diagnosis, I've actually been pretty downcast since I found out. I was wondering whether mindfulness could actually help in managing my emotions and keeping a check on my symptoms.

Has anyone else used mindfulness in this way before? Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks in advance.
Girl.

[Mal_Smith]

Do you have a copy of Kabat-Zinn's "Full Catastrophe Living"? He's very good on using Mindfulness to manage physical symptoms & associated bad feelings.

[GirlAloneWithHerself]

I haven't, no, but I'll definitely look it up.

Thank you, Mal.

[Gareth]

I live with MS; it's the whole reason that I found mindfulness in the first place. It is such a help to me living with the disease. My quality of life is very good, despite this broken body of mine. It's impossible to prove, but i feel instinctively, that mindfulness has had a significant impact on the progression of the disease. After all, I know have significantly less stress in my life, and stress is a very bad thing for someone with MS. For all of us in fact.

You've just received a diagnosis of a life-changing condition, so no doubt your head is all over the place at the minute. This is in no way a 'failing' of your practice; anybody would be the same in this situation.

Just allow yourself to be this way. Try to 'lean in' and investigate these feelings with curiosity and treat yourself really kindly. This is a tough thing that you're going through. Any negative feelings and emotions that you have about this will pass when they are good and ready. You can make this process easier on yourself with acceptance and self-compassion.

[Mal_Smith]

I had a diagnosis of colitis in my twenties and used meditation as one method of reducing stress, and I became colitis free within a year. It hasn't recurred since (I'm now in my fifties...)

I've been an "on and off" meditator, and in my "off " periods it still didn't recur - though I've had other ailments (tinnitus, headaches, general aches, moderate depression....) which were all helped by taking up meditation again. In all these cases, the symptoms did, in fact, leave. But, even before they left, I was able to get to a place where I just "accepted them" and "let them be". This takes all the mental torment out of the situation, leaving only the physical discomfort. And the mental torment is by far the worst part of any illness, I think.

If you can convince your GP that colitis might be helped by a Kabat-Zinn-like eight week course then you might be able to get it free on the nhs:

https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/041114

"In participants who had flare-ups, MBSR was more effective (to a significant degree) in lowering perceived stress and in preventing the characteristic drop in Quality of Life."

Yup, that was my experience before the colitis left me...

[piedwagtail91]

gareth gives great advice
"Just allow yourself to be this way. Try to 'lean in' and investigate these feelings with curiosity and treat yourself really kindly. This is a tough thing that you're going through. Any negative feelings and emotions that you have about this will pass when they are good and ready. You can make this process easier on yourself with acceptance and self-compassion."

i'm in a similar position. after years of depression, which i feel has now gone-at least for a while, i've just been told that i've got a neck problem which is affecting my shoulders, hands and balance etc. on a sort of random basis.

i guess i'm lucky in that i have a good mindfulness practice so i've been able to let go of all the thoughts that would have brought a lot of 'secondary suffering', the worry and the added pain that our thoughts and emotions add to what's already there - the primary pain.

mindfulness and, as gareth says, self compassion can help you through this difficult time.
accepting something like this is difficult, but acceptance is the only way to find any peace.
acceptance doesn't mean you have to like it it just means that you recognise that fighting it or denying it is futile and won't bring any relief.

this is a quote from alan watts -love him or hate him
"All our psychological defences against suffering are useless. The more we defend, the more we suffer, and defending is itself suffering".

hope that makes sense, a lot of his stuff takes me weeks to understand
mick

[minipict]

Hello. I'm not sure how much experience you already have with mindfulness so I'll start with the basics. As recommended already Full Catastrophe Catastrophy Living is a good if wordy introduction to the concept of mindfulness. You would also benefit from finding a workbook that helps support you through the 8 week program. Choose one specifically tailored for anxiety.
The good news is that mindfulness is an excellent practice for learning how to deal with the uncomfortable and the painful in life. To achieve this requires daily mindfulness practice and an understanding of the progressive skills and knowledge gained in the 8 week program.
Try not to go in to mindfulness expecting miracles or using it like a painkiller. It takes time to develop the skills, the compassion and the confidence to be able to face the uncomfortable and work through it. However, if you focus simply on developing your mindfulness practice with open curiosity you will feel the difference.
Most useful, you learn to be the compassionate observor to your own thoughts, emotions, worries, anxieties, pain...and joy, comfort, happiness... you learn to avoid the spiral of worry upon worry building up to anxiety and to explore the edge of your discomfort with compassionate curiosity. You learn to get grounded in the moment, rather than being buffeted by swirling currents of anxiety. This will give you space in your mind to find clear, rational strategies to cope with your illness, and a calm space in your mind to work through your valid emotions with compassion.
Warmest wishes

[BreatheCalm]

Have you read 'Living Well With Pain & Illness' by Vidyamala Burch? The author suffers from chronic spinal pain and has learned to live a mindful and full life despite many hurdles.

It's beautifully & simply written and teaches you how to ease your suffering by becoming more mindful and compassionate towards yourself. It's a wonderful book and may help you to gain some much needed perspective at a difficult time like this.

Warm wishes,
Amy