Hopeful Acceptance: Strategies for Coping with Chronic Illness (Part 3 of 5)

Embracing a State of Acceptance Part 1 | Part 2 By Alana Karran Chronic illness is a loss. Many people with an ongoing health issue will need to make changes to their relationship with their own bodies, their relationship with others and their relationship to the work they do in the world. Grief can become overwhelming, when so much change happens outside of one’s control. Remember that each stage of grief is normal, from denial and isolation, to anger and bargaining, to sadness and depression. Attempting to rush through the stages toward acceptance, will only delay the process. Use your newly embraced self-compassion to be fully present to the gamut of emotions that greet you each day. It is not uncommon to cycle through the stages of grief repeatedly and in no particular order. Even after embracing acceptance, you may