[CHAT] Coping with illness
It’s the middle of winter and that means a lot of us are sporting some kind of winter sickness, and being bombarded by television ads for cough mixture usually featuring some sad looking soul with a Rudolf red nose, a scary animated phlegm ball with a face, or that ever so annoying super mum who encourages us to ‘get on with the day’ even though we feel like death warmed up… shut up mum!
Most of us will get the dreaded cold or flu at least once this sickly season and even though they only last a few days normally they can still be a pretty rotten few days… If your lucky like me and have already had the flu this year they can easily turn into something worse like a chest infection, which I’m still carrying the remaining tell tale signs of… Aka coughing up disgusting phlegm balls at random… Mmm attractive!
But what about illness that last for more than a few days? Dealing with a chronic illness like diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or chronic pain is difficult, and almost certainly means some major changes in your life. You can adjust to living with a chronic illness by getting good info, and talking to people - doctors, counsellors, or other people living with the illness.
Our health is our most important asset and there is lots we can do to best to take care of ourselves, but our mental health can take a hit when trying to manage an illness, even in the short term but getting informed and focusing on the things you can do (& are in control of) is the key!
This weeks get real session will be all about managing illness - we'll talk about coping with the winter sicknesses, and managing other health issues that might come up. But we'll also explore what happens when a chronic illness takes hold and how you can look after yourself or someone else if a friend or family member has something serious going on with their health.
So come join @Chessca_H and myself at 8pm AEST on Monday for some support and good time!!! *Tissues provided
In the meantime here's Jordan talking about how she dealt with her chronic illness
Be a listening ear. Help them to stay nourished and hydrated. Give them chocolate
@redhead all good points, especially like the part about chocolate! 😛
I don't like having people around, but I with this awesome modern world I can alternative forms of modern communication to talk to people (especially my best friend).
I like to remind myself that I'm ok and will get through it. I Facebook/message friends when I feel lonely. And make sure I eat well. And keep taking my medication.
@redhead thats a really good point about getting in touch with friends, staying connected is so important!
@N1ghtW1ng yeah it is hard isnt it!! its so easy to go into gremlin mode when sick, but i like to keep the space around me clean and tidy and that seems to help me feel alot better. Also getting some fresh air and sunlight helps
@redhead i think keeping up with social connections is so helpful when sick, im lucky to have nice friends that will look after me 🙂
Watch movies and sci fi shows. Or just sleep.
@ everyone else, I may leave discussion early falling asleep lol.
I just spend a few days in bed til it passes. I try to self sooth and not get to down on myself for not doing anything.
I'm currently sick, so I'm skipping my usual weekly activities and gonna take a break til I'm better.
Hey @redhead im glad you could join us again! That totally sucks you are sick 😞 i was so sick recently so i feel your pain, sounds like you are doing the right thing though by resting up!!
Hey everyone and welcome to tonight's GR session!
Tonight's chat is about coping with illness, whether that means feeling a bit rotten yourself, looking after someone close to you for a bit, or more long term issues.
Just keep in mind that we want this to be a safe and fun chat for everyone, so make sure you read up on and abide by the forum guidelines,
If you feel upset or uncomfortable by any of the posts on this thread, please check out the emergency help tab in the top right hand corner.
Now that that's all out of the way, lets get started!
Your first question for tonight: People handle getting/being sick pretty differently a lot of the time, how do you deal with it when it happens to you?
People handle getting/being sick pretty differently a lot of the time, how do you deal with it when it happens to you?
I hate getting sick. It's a bit of anxiety trigger for me so I normally feel pretty stressed when I'm sick. I generally try to ignore it and push through even when I'm not feeling up to it and I usually feel guilty if I need to take time off.
Hey @delicatedreamer i definitely feel you there, being sick is a huge anxiety trigger for me also, especially when my nose is blocked and i cant breath properly, that sucks 😞 but nasal decongestants really help, i love otrovin when im sick!!
People handle getting/being sick pretty differently a lot of the time, how do you deal with it when it happens to you?
I usually grumble a lot and want to chop off whatever is causing me pain, usually my nose.
Hey @N1ghtW1ng !! Welsome to the session for tonight! I have never heard of that show!
@redhead that's okay, at least you'll be sleeping!
@stonepixie I dislike it when we don't have any throat lozenges. But luckily I just walk down to the shops less than 5 min away and buy some. Then stop by my school and bring lunch to my friend and eat with her.
It is somewhere in my room, I just can't find it (very messy). And the shops are a half hour walk away. 
Watch TV - it's the best distraction for me and requires a low investment of energy. I also like to do a bit of self care if I have the time/ motivation (e.g. have a bath, drink tea, make something nice/healthy to eat, sleep, practise mindfulness... etc.).
@delicatedreamer awesome work with the self care, im pretty rubbish at it when im sick and just want someone to look after me! I should really try to eat better so i dont get sick again!
@lilbro we mainly use the threads so that the conversation is stored for people to read later on 🙂
