Cat-a-Tonic
Super Moderator
For those who have been undiagnosed, especially for those who have spent years without answers, what are your coping techniques?
For me (I've currently been ill & undiagnosed a few months shy of 2 years), my #1 coping technique is to just take things one day at a time. Sometimes, especially when I'm flaring or feeling awful, I start thinking "what ifs" such as, what if my future is going to be this miserable every day, or what if I don't ever get a diagnosis, or what if it takes years to get a diagnosis and I'm miserable for years? I have found it's terribly stressful and depressing to have thoughts like that, so I try not to even think about the future when I flare. When I'm feeling like crap, I make myself think thoughts such as, I just have to get through this one day. Tomorrow doesn't even exist, I just have to make it through right now. I just have to make it through this wave of pain, this bathroom trip, etc. If I can break it down like that, it's so much easier to deal with the dual demons of flare plus being undiagnosed. I don't know if it's totally healthy to live in the moment like that, but it seems to work for me. What are your coping techniques?
For me (I've currently been ill & undiagnosed a few months shy of 2 years), my #1 coping technique is to just take things one day at a time. Sometimes, especially when I'm flaring or feeling awful, I start thinking "what ifs" such as, what if my future is going to be this miserable every day, or what if I don't ever get a diagnosis, or what if it takes years to get a diagnosis and I'm miserable for years? I have found it's terribly stressful and depressing to have thoughts like that, so I try not to even think about the future when I flare. When I'm feeling like crap, I make myself think thoughts such as, I just have to get through this one day. Tomorrow doesn't even exist, I just have to make it through right now. I just have to make it through this wave of pain, this bathroom trip, etc. If I can break it down like that, it's so much easier to deal with the dual demons of flare plus being undiagnosed. I don't know if it's totally healthy to live in the moment like that, but it seems to work for me. What are your coping techniques?