Having Community to support you is essential to living a healthy happy life! Especially when you are living with chronic illness, you need people around you who you can trust. Often, once the illness has really set in, our instinct is to shut ourselves away. Here is why it’s so important for you to continue to reach out to your friend groups, or find new groups you can join!
Why is having community so important?
Having community is in our DNA. When God created the world, He created it with people in mind. He didn’t leave Adam alone, He created Eve so they could have each other’s support, and people the world for an even bigger community. In Genesis 2:18 it says:
And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Genesis 2:18
In this way, we help each other in life. All our relationships differ from one to the other, but we are meant to help each other up when we fall down. We are meant to encourage each other to the best of our abilities. Living as a hermit, is not ideal for humans. The last few years have proven that beyond a doubt! Being separated from each other causes further mental stress and decline. It’s also why the prison systems and intelligence agencies use separation from other humans as a form of discipline and torture. That’s why it’s imperative for us to have friends and/or family around us.
How community helps in time of illness.
When my Fibromyalgia set in, depression quickly followed. The brain fog FM brings made holding a conversation with others very difficult. It would be hard to find the words I needed to answer intelligently, and I was embarrassed about what others would think. I was fearful that if I didn’t answer appropriately they would think I was losing my mind, and would take my children away. This began my spiral into severe anxiety as well. Between the FM, depression, and anxiety, leaving the house was a huge challenge. I didn’t reach out to friends, as I didn’t want to be complaining all the time and bring them down too. The increased isolation I put myself in just made everything worse.
There were times I would walk into my church building, turn around and walk back home again. (It’s a good thing we lived only a few blocks away.) The confusion on their faces only made me feel worse, which compounded my need to get away. In this way, I suffered in relative silence for many years. If I’d been more open about what I was going through, I may have found answers faster. This period of time allowed me lots of time to research and find natural ways to recover and heal. It was when I found Trish Blackwell, and the College of Confidence community, that I actually started to heal.
The power of community:
The community I found in the College of Confidence showed me I was not alone. Not being alone was one of the biggest break throughs I had. Knowing I wasn’t the only one that felt the way I did made me feel normal again. Rediscovering who I was in God’s eyes, and that He never lies was transformational. I could no longer think of myself as broken and useless, when God called me His masterpiece!
When I realized that every time I started putting myself down I was calling Him a liar, I knew I had to stop. I broke that cycle by reminding myself that God never lies. Since I would never consciously call Him a liar, it became painfully obvious that something had to change. Seeing myself as God saw me, as a unique masterpiece placed on this earth for a purpose, changed everything! Fulfilling His purpose for me became my mission in life. God used Trish to encourage and teach me these truths.
This is the power of community; to raise others up so they know how valuable and powerful they are. When you accept this truth, you have the power to change not only yourself, but the world.
What effects does community have on chronic illness?
For me having community started my journey out of the dark hole I was surviving in. Through what Trish was teaching, and the examples of other members, I was able to defeat my depression and control my anxiety. I have been depression free for many years now without any medication at all. My anxiety is under control, and I have tools to use when it tries to resurface, without any medication needed.
I’ve been able to do this by managing my mindset, and talking myself out of negative thoughts that aren’t helpful. By getting my depression and anxiety under control, I now have the energy to focus on my FM. I have learned that with a consistent inflammatory free diet and exercise, I can be pain free again. I have also learned ways to improve my memory and decrease the brain fog. Without the encouraging community I found, I would not be where I am today!
Where am I today?
Today I am thrilled to announce my new Facebook Group; Andrea’s FM Community!!! This group is open to anyone who wants to join whether you have a chronic illness like FM or not! We want to be as supportive and informative as possible for those wanting to know how to thrive in life with chronic illness. With this goal, care givers and friends of those with chronic illnesses are welcome too! I hope you check it out! Everyone is welcome to ask questions, and I will do my best to find the answers you are seeking!
I truly hope you start looking for a community to support you through whatever you are going through today. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at andrea@nopainallgain.ca.
As a natural encourager, I live to help others!!! One-on-one coaching is a great way to start building your confidence, and improve your health! I help people with Fibromyalgia and chronic illness manage their symptoms with ease, so they never feel held back again! Click here for an application form and I would be happy to help you in your journey. You can also contact me at andrea@nopainallgain.ca or check out my website: www.nopainallgain.ca
