Riding solo. 🛶🛶🛶 #lupusin60 Lupus in :60 - Isolation. Read more...

Lupus in :60 -- A debilitating chronic illness like lupus can make you feel so alone. Not only the mental isolation of having a disease few have heard of, or understand, but also the physical limitations like overwhelming pain and fatigue that force you to bed. It can be hard to find hope when you're bedridden, but here are 3 quick strategies to combat those feelings of isolation:

1) CONNECT - Grab your speaker phone (because i know your joints hurt too much to hold the device), and reach out to someone. Maybe it's an overdue call to Grandma, or a pep talk from Mom. Or maybe YOU can provide comfort to someone with a spontaneous phone call. Make a list of names, and check them off as you go.

2) BE CONSTRUCTIVE - Make good use of the quiet time you have...you know it may not last forever [insert kid emoji here :]. Catch an uninterrupted nap, watch a movie YOU choose, start a good book (propped on pillows to save joints), or flip through magazines otherwise collecting dust. I always keep pen and paper by my bedside. List Making is a favorite flare pastime.

3) COMMUNICATE - The mental isolation can be devastating, but when we clam up, we shut people out. Granted, not everyone is going to understand why you're out of commission, or why it's taking you so long to bounce back. But remember - you don't need them to understand. You just need them to help. (And truthfully, will any amount of explaining convey the severity of our symptoms?) Something like, "I know you may not fully get what I'm going through, but I really need your help right now. Here's what you can do."

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