The Journey Towards Acceptance When You Live With a Health Condition

Whether you live with a chronic condition, rare disease or mental illness, acceptance of our circumstances can be a difficult process.

We reached out to the Mighty community and asked “What has helped you accept your health conditions?”

Here is what they had to say:

Accepting my limitations

“Having to deal with the limitations day in and day out for over a decade means you learn to decorate the cane. To take the meds. To do the PT. To rest in the afternoons and not push the limits.” – Cindyellen R.

“It only causes pain to fight what is. I have fibromyalgia as well as mental illness at play. I have come to focus on what is in the now. I simply had to fall down to realize that sometimes you cannot fight [it].” – Marie.

Having a support system

“[My] supportive husband and two friends did everything they could to educate themselves about my conditions and encourage me on bad days. They are quick to remind me that this is normal for all I deal with and it’s OK to rest and take care of myself. Their love and support make my life so much easier.” – @momof10

Recognizing it’s out of my hands

“Not having any control over the fact that I have it.” – @rriems

“That it doesn’t go away or really change. I intentionally try to separate ‘me’ from my condition.” – Gen

“I have accepted my fibromyalgia knowing there is not much I can do about it. It is what it is.” – Tommie

Knowing I’m not alone (and discovering The Mighty!)

“Getting on The Mighty and other legit forums where people relate to me so I can get it out of my head. I am [not] the only one who has x, y, z.” – Kirsten

“Joining this community. Knowing I’m not alone or the only one dealing with this has made it easier to accept.” – Monica

“I think that just understanding I am not the only one going through it is so helpful. Even though it is so sad to know other people are going through the same thing, it is nice to know we are in it together.” – @knellie

Getting diagnosed

“Getting my diagnoses and finding I was right about each [and] way underestimating the severity.” – @werp

“Once I learned about my genetic disorder and realized what has been causing me so many issues, it didn’t take long to accept it.” – Allie L.

Going through hell and back

“Falling and almost dying a few times made me reluctantly admit it. Accepting the facts came later. I think if the pandemic hadn’t come around and stopped me in my tracks, I might have worked myself into an early grave.” – @purpleplantlady

“Being brought back from a suicide attempt gave me awareness of my mental health issues. Acceptance of how bad my issues was was the hardest for me. Time and education of my illnesses helped me most, I think.” – T

Looking on the bright side

“Knowing I can still enjoy some things in my life. Movies, shows, food, books, etc.” – Benjamin W.

“Reminding myself tomorrow’s another day and my attitude makes a huge difference.” – Jen T.

“Having faith I’m not going to let it eat me up. No matter what, I’m making a success of my life and moving forward. I’ve got through so much already, that’s not going to waste. It will take time, strength, and compassion.” – em_j_d

“I decided to make a positive documentary on [my illness] in hopes that when someone is feeling a little down, they can feel something relatable and positive if they view it.” – Charlie

Finding acceptance through faith

“Knowing that this is something I have to deal with and learning and depending on my Higher Power.” – Tommi

“Accepting multiple illnesses has been quite the journey, so I think time and faith in the Lord have been my keys in acceptance.” – @FlintMcGee

Knowing it’s not in my head

“With my tachycardia, getting my health watch that monitors my heart rate, and realizing that when I miss my meds it beeps at me every few minutes. It helps me know that it’s not just ‘all in my head’ or ‘just anxiety.’” – KyLiera

“Therapy — both physical and mental — has probably helped me accept my conditions the most. It also sometimes helps to view these health conditions through a neutral lens.” – Skye G.