Emotions we experience when Chronically ill - ANGER

Hey guys, so following on from my last post, I'm going to talk about another emotion that people experience when they are chronically ill.

ANGRY - Ok so I don't feel this one too much myself. I usually feel annoyed and frustrated but its not very often i am properly angry.

They say this is a stage of grief and yes, we have suffered great losses. Usually I don't feel angry unless I've seen others who've been treated unfairly, or neglected by doctors or their families and who have so many special needs and need to be looked after but receive no advice, love, care or help. Typically it doesn't take long after becoming ill where you're unable to work and function normally before you find that there are other repercussions you hadn't even THOUGHT about like money and friendships, having basic everyday needs taken care of.

This is especially true for young people who never got a start in the work place and have never been paid, lived on their own or done anything like go to uni, on holiday on their own etc. Its also true for women who made their life's work their home and family. No one likes being dependent on others and now you've found there is nothing you can depend on.

We all feel angry sometimes. Anger itself is not a bad thing but acting violently or badly out of anger is. I think usually when we feel angry it is towards all the injustices we and feel so helpless to do anything about. We feel abandon and forgotten, neglected and sometimes even abused.

It also helps to know that we are not in this alone defenceless, because there is a whole other community of people just like you, out there. It is difficult not to lash out sometimes when others mistreat us especially when we feel so ill we have little emotional self protection left and have to depend on others so so much. Lack of sleep doesn't help, it certainly makes me more grumpy and more prone to being angry.

I think the 'thing' I feel angry about or towards the most, is probably the illness itself or my body. I am angry that MY body wasn't strong or healthy enough to not get this illness. I am annoyed with my body for putting me through such horrible stuff and I am annoyed with the illness because it wrecks lives. This illness has hurt so many of my friends (people I met through twitter because of ME) and I feel so angry that they have to go through this because it's not their fault!!

Do you get angry? What do you get angry about? Leave me a comment and let me know. Part #3 coming soon.