Chronicillness​ – A Four-phase Journey To A New Life

Learning to accept and live with chronic illness isn’t easy. This four-phase model provides helpful guidelines.

- Arjan Bogaers

One of the most difficult psychological and emotional challenges facing the chronically ill person is the loss of identity they often feel. Many things you once did with ease, you can no longer do. Over time, the reality settles in – the person you once were is gone. There is no going back. Now what?

Few events in life are as intrusive, disruptive and devastating as the onset of, and the continued effects of, a chronic illness. A chronic illness challenges to the extreme all the areas of your life and of the lives of those who are closely involved with you: the physical, the emotional-psychological, the mental and the spiritual.

BEYOND THE PHYSICAL 

Although there may be a physical illness with its diagnosis and explanations, the outer and inner experiences far surpass the realm of the purely physical, and therefore the required understanding, attention, assistance and coping skills also have to surpass the physical.

Your ultimate personal transformation will eventually take place in the area of your emotional life and soul life, but this can only happen if the immediate physical needs are given their due care.

You will find that a chronic illness means, among other things, a radical change in the course of your biography. Yet, in many ways, you are still the same person. The illness may have robbed you of certain abilities, an expected future, even of a job and possessions. Yet, you are still you, with your needs, your likes, your ideas of fun and of purpose, and your dreams. So how to integrate this ‘new’ state of affairs into the life of the person you are, but who is no longer living a life the way you know how?

The following summary (based on the work of chronic illness and trauma specialist Patricia Fennell) of clearly distinguishable phases of chronic illness and supportive questions might help you find some direction.