Coping with chronic illness 2 | The Health Sessions

How to Improve Recall: 5 Techniques to Rebuild Your Memory

This article is written by dr. Upasana Gala.

Where did I put my keys? What did the doctor say about these meds? What’s the name of that therapist again?

Chronic illness can often be accompanied by cognitive issues. For people dealing with chronic conditions, problems with memory are not only a matter of forgetting anniversaries or details from the past. Memory problems coupled with chronic illness can be a recurring issue as you go about your daily routines, affecting your overall health and quality of life.

The thing is, memories evolve. When the brain attempts to rebuild memories each time a person tries to recall something, it stores them again for future use. This is where things get mixed up, according to research.

Still, you have to know that there are ways you can improve your brain’s ability for recall. While there may be no guarantee of preventing dementia or memory loss, at least you’ll have a better chance of rebuilding your memory with the following five techniques.

5 Undeniable Reasons Why An e-Bike is Great for Chronic Illness

This article is written by Graeme McLaughlin.

It’s no secret that chronic pain and illness is typically what we call a ‘hidden disease’ for many, but what we also know all too well is that exercise is great for our bodies – pain or not, right?

The trouble for so many people who are dealing with chronic illness and the likelihood of frequently debilitating pain is that even walking can be too high-impact at times.

Maintaining independence is one of the hardest things to do for someone with even the most beginning stages of chronic pain or illness, as well. One of the biggest sources of depression in those suffering from chronic illness are the feelings of inadequacy, needing to depend on others to run errands, and that’s all in addition to the pain they may feel from trying to stay active and remain in charge of their lives. So how does someone with a chronic illness get their heart pumping – even a little – to gain the benefits that come from exercise?

Enter the e-bike. E-bikes are often misunderstood, in that there are people who believe it’s “cheating” or not really cycling. But it is all that and more, as the level of exercise can be set and changed by the rider to accommodate their abilities and needs.

Maybe to better understand why an e-bike is a great option for those suffering from chronic illness, there are a few things to think about.

Let’s Talk About Sex: How to Deal with Intimacy Issues with Chronic Illness

It’s not something most people easily talk about: the intimacy issues they face as a result of chronic illness.

By nature, sex is a deeply personal and vulnerable act. Baring your body and soul to someone else is intimate in itself, let alone when you look, feel and experience sex differently than what we believe to be ‘normal’.

But sex also plays an important role in the quality of your life and relationships, even if you’re sick or disabled. That’s why it’s important we normalize talking about sex with chronic illness.

5 Inspiring Ways Natural Mindfulness Can Motivate Your Daily Walk

This article is written by Jemma Louise Hunt from A Wellness Tale.

Many of us turn to walking as an introduction to exercise following months and years of being housebound by chronic illness. And in the early days, the first tentative steps towards movement are enough to keep us fully motivated and inspired. There is triumph in circuiting the garden for the first time, and pride in ambling up to a neighbour’s house and back, because nothing beats the euphoria of smashing your earlier walking goals.

But healing in chronic illness is never linear and there are often setbacks. Maybe through enthusiasm or sheer determination you walked beyond your current exertion limits, weakening your body and its capabilities? Or perhaps you have reached the peak of your current abilities and a long, frustrating plateau ensues?

It is at this point we might begin to lose motivation, and if the exhilarating and celebratory moments of our early achievements no longer encourage us, what can we look to for inspiration going forward?

The Nuance of Trauma: Why It's So Important to Treat Unhealed Trauma | The Health Sessions

The Nuances of Trauma: Why It’s Important to Treat Unhealed Trauma

This article is written by Frankie Wallace.

Stiff upper lip. Keep calm and carry on. Soldier through. Put on your big girl/boy pants. Let it go. Our society is filled with platitudes about trauma.

But while these catchy little tropes might make for a good bumper sticker, they certainly don’t make for a good — or healthy — life strategy. The truth is that, contrary to yet another popular cliche, time does not, in fact, heal all wounds.

Quite the contrary. Attempting to simply ignore or “move on” from your trauma is an almost guaranteed way to never truly heal — and the long-term effects, not only to your mental wellbeing but also to your physical health, can be devastating.

You deserve better. You deserve to live your life healed from your trauma. And it can be done.