Blogging Therapy
I heard some really good advice today about managing your emotions when dealing with a chronic illness. This doctor said that we all need to vent – that it’s normal, and healthy to express our frustrations, anger, sadness, fright, and pain. But, finding a good outlet for that emotion can be tricky. It’s okay to vent to doctors, therapists, and support groups – that’s what they are here for – but they aren’t always there to listen when you need them to. It’s sometimes okay to vent to our loved ones – our spouses, parents, children, and friends – but, always making them your sounding board can lead to dire consequences over time. They can start to feel like a “whipping boy.” They can start to see you as a whiner who only wants to talk about your disease. They can feel like you only want to talk about your troubles, and are never there to listen when they have problems.
So, this greatly enlightened doctor suggested an alternative – a blog. What a great idea! I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself. I’ve always been a writer, and writing always has been very therapeutic for me. With a blog, you can vent all day long, and not risk offending the keyboard, or boring the mouse. The screen won’t get sick of listening to you and won’t confuse your illness with the “real” you. Sure, I might offend a reader or two – but you can just exit out of the page. And – who knows – perhaps I’ll help another poor soul who stumbles upon my ramblings.
I usually like to take credit for my writing – at least when its good. But for the sake of being able to thoroughly vent without fear of repercussions, I am going to keep this blog anonymous – at least for now. So you don’t get confused, here is my cast of characters:
hubby: hubby
14 year old daughter: D1
12 year old daughter: D2
9 year old son: S
It’s an intricate system, I know! I’ve been having a little trouble typing lately as my RA has affected my fingers and wrists, but we’ll just have to see how it goes. Well, here goes my therapy………
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Madre with RA 
katiestew Said:
on June 8, 2010 at 11:18 pm
hi there! thanks for sharing your blog with myself and others suffering from RA. I’m really looking forward to watching your story unfold. stay well and take care of those fingers of yours /)
-Katie
http://katiestew.wordpress.com/
Wren Said:
on June 15, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Welcome to the RA blogosphere! There’s a great group of people out here, each of us learning to live well with rheumatoid arthritis and share what we learn with others as we grow. Looking forward to reading your posts.
Laurie Said:
on June 28, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Thx for blogging! I think it really does help on life’s journey! Take care of yourself, and I do hope to read more… 🙂 Laurie
lilabyrd Said:
on July 8, 2010 at 9:40 am
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I have been enjoying reading your blog and wanted to also brighten your day by giving you a gift for your blog and all your work on your blog. I have also added your blog to my blog roll page. So stop by my blog to pick up your blog award and read all about it….”One Lovely Blog” ….. Lila of “Lila Lost in the Fibro Fog…” http://www.lilabyrdakabirdladybyday.wordpress.com