Disease, whether mild or a serious, is a condition that affects not only your physical health, but your emotional wellness as well. This is especially true if you have had a traumatic experience that has caused frightening flashbacks, physical damage, emotional upset, and a sense of being in constant danger. When bad things happen to us, it takes awhile for us to recover from them emotionally
Most people have strong emotional reactions to being diagnosed with a disease, especially if it is something truly life-threatening, such as cancer or heart disease. In fact, there are even some who conceive of such diseases as a plague or punishment, making recovery more difficult. In the end, they may develop something called emotional trauma.
Emotional trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless and vulnerable.
An emotional trauma in response to disease occurs when:
· The disease comes unexpectedly
· You are unprepared for the disease
· The disease happens repeatedly
· You feel powerless to prevent the disease
· Someone you know has died from the same disease
Having a disease is indeed stressful, but beyond a return to a healthy physical state, many sufferers are motivated to heal more quickly due to emotional reasons. Some of these are:
* To regain their energy and return to work
* To be able to take care of their kids
* To return to living a normal life
* To spare their family anxiety
* To achieve their personal goals, dreams, and aspirations
* To avoid spending more money on hospital bills
* To live a longer and healthier life
Since the emotional component of recovery is strong, it makes sense to take stock of your own emotional life. If you are suffering from disease, do you have the emotional tools to help you recover more quickly? More proactively, are you emotionally prepared for any future diagnoses you may receive?
Christian