Finding out that you have a chronic illness can cause anxiety, pain and fear.
You might feel lost and scared.
In addition, when an illness is diagnosed, doctors often only give out summarized key points of information.
If you want to find out more about your illness, you have to dig in and find relevant resources of information.
While searching for information can be scary, finding more about your condition can help if you feel helpless or like things are out of control.
Continue to read to find out how to approach your research and how to recognize which sources of information are relevant.
Why should I research?
Even before you go to a doctor it’s a good idea to research some keywords and terms that will help you to express what you’re feeling.
When talking to a doctor we often forget or struggle to describe our own conditions and perceptions.
This can result in doctors not having the right picture of your condition so they have difficulty comprehending, interpreting, and conducting what’s going on in your body.
On the other hand, after being diagnosed you will find it easier to ask essential questions and get relevant information from a doctor.
It is important for you to:
- understand your condition
- understand the treatment and therapy
- know how to manage symptoms
Face the fear of the unknown
When I found out I had a chronic illness I was devastated, fearful and hopeless.
I was sleeping 20 hours a day and trying to escape my reality.
If you feel like fear has been in the driver’s seat of your healing journey you are not alone.
Fear is the most difficult hurdle to mount, and it comes up at the most unexpected times.
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of movement
- Fear of pain
- Fear of never getting better
- Fear of loss, rejection, resentment, isolation
It might seem like these fears are taking over your life, but there is hope.
Nothing is permanent in this world. Not one sensation is permanent.
You can have a future that’s free from fear.
Thousands of people are on the same path as you, and thousands have walked it before you.
The key is in shrinking anxiety and pain and helping yourself feel safe.
Seek out your own information but don’t obsess over it.
This is hard but it’s absolutely critical to keep some balance while you’re slowly getting better.
While knowledge is power, obsessing over the information will take so much energy that you may not be able to actually make the small improvements necessary to keep getting better.
Relevant resources
Although the internet provides a huge volume of information, the accuracy of that information varies widely.
It can be hard to tell if the source has credibility.
It’s always good advice to research with caution.
Don’t rely on googling the symptoms, because Google’s search algorithms and ranking system don’t prioritize the most comprehensive, reliable, and accurate sources. The ranking algorithms prioritize content based on the frequency of searching.
Generally, governmental medical sources are accurate and reliable but there are other valuable sources as well. In fact, other sources can be even more valuable as chronic illnesses are often under-researched in the larger medical and government sources.
Finding other people’s stories and the things that help them is valuable information. It may or may not be something that helps you but as long as you have the mindset that you are looking to understand and not looking for magic pills then it’s helpful to be aware.
On the contrary, sites that sell a specific product or specific service may be less reliable.
There’s a good chance that their information is wrong or misleading.
Many books provide helpful, general information about disorders.
Some local, university or hospital libraries have useful resources, including a research librarian.
Also, support groups or internet groups can be very helpful in giving you relevant information.
Conclusion
Being diagnosed is hard, and is usually followed by feeling lost and uncertain.
Researching your condition is a good thing and it can ignite an empowering feeling in you and help you to better understand and deal with your chronic condition.
Research can lead you to a better understanding of how our bodies function and ultimately to healing.
The worst way you can approach your healing journey is to stick your head below the surface and act like the illness doesn’t exist.
Find relevant resources and start forging your wellness journey!