Have you been recently diagnosed, or are you learning how to cope with a chronic condition?

    Moving beyond the shock of hearing the news itself takes time, but then learning to cope, let alone try to find meaning in illness can be a challenging proposition. Doing so eventually can provide a context for coping, coming to terms with, and just living with _____________ (fill in your own diagnosis)!

    Since the first research was conducted by Herbert Benson MD in the 1950's on the effect of learning relaxation techniques upon stress, our knowledge and acceptance of the mind-body connection has moved mainstream.

    We now know much more about the biochemistry of stress responses, and how to counteract it. We also know about the biochemical interplay between our immune, endocrine and limbic (the part of the brain
responsible for our emotions) systems. This is the field known as psychoneuroimmunology (luckily shortened to PNI!) Full disclosure...this was the theoretical basis for my doctoral research.

    So what's that got to do with you trying to cope, or come to terms, with your illness? Simply put, the emotions you experience effect your immune and hormonal (endocrine) systems. This can have some effect upon the potential course the illness may take. The real implication is not about 'feeling your way out of illness', but in understanding the role your emotions can play, and how they can aid and support you in coping better by reducing stress, and changing how you actually relate to the illness itself.

    If your circumstances impact your functioning (i.e. something you were always able to do before has now become difficult or impossible), then grieving for what has been lost helps you move on.

    Whereas I can't offer medical advice (I'm not a physician) I can help you manage your current situation and how you relate to it, which improves your direct experience of it!