Emotions and Rheumatoid Arthritis Archives | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Medication Fears and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Fear of medicine Have you ever been afraid of taking medicine? I have. Who knew that there’s actually a name for a fear of medication: pharmacophobia. Appearing irrational to Dr. Laptop As if I were once again the 19 year-old girl who quit taking thyroid medication, the day I learned I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), I...Continue reading      37 Comments » Read more

The Pursuit of Happyness When Part of Your Life Is Called Rheumatoid Arthritis

Waiting to start a new treatment, the past few weeks, I’ve had a crazy idea. If the treatment works, I might “forget” how it was. So maybe I should do something I’ve never done: take an inventory. A couple years ago, a patient commented that she does a brief inventory of her joints with her...Continue reading      24 Comments » Read more

Lessons from a Dumb Phone & a Disabled Computer

Last month I ordered a lightweight keyboard to use with an iPad. I planned to get one to downsize for travel, so I'd be more able to manage my briefcase alone when needed. I'm typing on that keyboard today from my sofa for another reason... Almost 2 weeks ago, I went through a Microsoft upgrade process...Continue reading      30 Comments » Read more

Recognizing the Anguish of Depression in Time for Help

Negative spaces are only part of the picture I was stirring early in the morning when everything was still gray. Something I saw looked like a fish for a moment. There’s no pet fish here, especially in my room. “Negative spaces,” I heard myself whisper. That’s what is in between the shapes of what is really there....Continue reading      13 Comments » Read more

Encouragement: with a Little Help from My Friends

Don’t you want me to help you with that? No. I want to be able to do it myself. I can do that for you. I know you can, I wish I could. Is there anything I can do? No, I want to feel like I can do something. Do you have any problem asking for help? Or...Continue reading      23 Comments » Read more

Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis Depression

Often, I get letters from Rheumatoid Arthritis patients struggling with depression. I always encourage them to consider the options of counseling or medication since there’s no way to know how serious their depression may be. It’s heartbreaking. We hope that most of the time we can avoid serious depression, but patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis or...Continue reading      42 Comments » Read more

3 Questions & 3 Answers about Guilt and Chronic Illness

Dealing with guilt and chronic illness (UPDATED) Did you ever stop and think guilt and chronic illness? Of course being sick is not your fault. There is nothing that can prevent being diagnosed with an illness. And you can't make a cure instantly appear. We would, if we could. So, we’re innocent. Being sick with a chronic...Continue reading      67 Comments » Read more

Anxiety and Depression with Chronic Illness, part 2

Anxiety or depression with chronic illness is not unusual Many individuals who suffer from a chronic health condition experience some symptoms of anxiety or depression.  There are several different types of both anxiety and depression. Yesterday, we discussed symptoms of some common forms. Please read part 1 if you are trying to identify symptoms of anxiety...Continue reading      4 Comments » Read more

Anxiety and Depression with Chronic Illness

I’m excited about this guest post to introduce an important discussion. Various types of anxiety and depression are more common in those who live with chronic illness & chronic pain. I hope this post will help us to think about when symptoms are serious enough to need help. Hello brave RA Warriors!  My name is Karaleigh....Continue reading      20 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis Anger

Rheumatoid Arthritis Anger: Cause or effect? Chicken or the egg? I wasn’t there of course, but I’ve always favored the chicken. I love chicken, especially fried chicken… Does RA cause anger? It can be managed politely, but there are times I’m definitely angry. At any one moment, I have more pain than many people I know have...Continue reading      65 Comments » Read more

Thinking about Love Bug Season & People with Rheumatoid Arthritis

The love bugs are swarming now in Central Florida I’ll never forget my first moments in Florida. I remember it plainly. It was the shock and awe season – otherwise known as love bug season. I had gotten on the plane with my new baby in Albuquerque in the snow. It was about the first of May....Continue reading      17 Comments » Read more

Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Heartache

Warning: This post is for the faint of heart. Tired of the stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis grieving Yeah, I’m probably not supposed to say these things. Whatever… Some of these RA changes are wearing thin. I never wanted to be branded by anything negative. I’m getting tired of feeling like I’ve lost credibility because of the chronic illness...Continue reading      207 Comments » Read more
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