Some people cope with adversity more easily than others. They have a positive outlook and resilience that seem to come naturally. But the fact is, resilience is something that anyone can develop.
Take Kat Elton. Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 2, she has no memory of moving easily without pain. “Arthritis is tough,” says the 51-year-old. “It’s made me less physically hardy and less able to follow the career path I wanted to follow. It negatively affects every aspect of my life.”
In her early 30s, she had a debilitating flare and it seemed that arthritis would take over her life. At that point, she made a deliberate decision to find a way to live with it – to find resilience. “With it comes a lot of strength, an ability to find a different perspective when I’m in a downward spiral,” she says.
Elton, an occupational therapist in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, started writing books as a way to help herself and others, including A Resilient Life: Learning to Thrive, Not Just Survive with Rheumatoid Arthritis (2010, KatElton.com).
Resilience is the ability to adapt to difficult situations, like living with a chronic disease, and bounce back from them.
This story is from the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of Arthritis Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of Arthritis Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
11 Ways to Build Resilience
Discover ways to overcome adversity and put a positive spin on any setback.
Why Timing Matters
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MAY INFLUENCE DRUGS’ EFFECTIVENESS.
THE ENEMY WITHIN
UNCONTROLLED INFLAMMATION UNDERLIES MANY CONDITIONS COMMON IN PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS. LEARN HOW TO TAMP IT DOWN.
Power of Positivity
POP STAR PAULA ABDUL’S JOYFUL OUTLOOK KEEPS HER DANCING PAST THE PAIN.
Men Who Care
MORE MEN ARE TAKING ON THE TOUGH JOB OF CAREGIVING.
How to Pick the Right Mattress
IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR SLEEP AND YOUR PAIN.
A Doctor's Advice
FOR DR. TRAVIS STORK, A SIMPLE TOE INJURY LED TO ARTHRITIS AND BACK SURGERY.
GOOD (FOR YOU) DEEDS
HOW HELPING OTHERS HELPS YOU.
Eating to Ease Gout
WATCHING WHAT YOU EAT MAY REDUCE FLARES – UP TO A POINT.
Bad Isn't Always A Catastrophe
EXAGGERATED FEARS MAY HEIGHTEN PAIN.