What it’s like to live with ankylosing spondylitis and depression
You might think that living with ankylosing spondylitis is already hard. When you add depression that makes it much harder to deal with. An estimated one-third of people with chronic illness also experience depression. In my case, I became depressed years before I was diagnosed with AS, but that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with.
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10 Things I want to tell people about my life with ankylosing spondylitis
Sometimes I think that all of us with chronic illnesses feel the same way – I don’t want people around me to think of me as the girl who only talks about her health issues, but at the same time how can I not talk about something that has such a huge impact on my life, and something that I so desperately want others to understand? These are 10 of the things I want to tell people everyday about my life with ankylosing spondylitis.
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Don’t Blame Yourself!
‘Why me?’ ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ What could I have done differently?’ It’s easy to feel like you have somehow done this to yourself. And as you move further into your wellness journey, as I did, you will learn more and more about the impact of nutrition on your health. It is human nature that you then begin to feel ashamed almost that you did not know this before.
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AS is not the End Game! From a sufferer to ASgardian
At the beginning of a new millennium, a young, independent, strong, healthy midgardian (aka man from earth) lived every day, enjoyed the free things like mountain walks, time with his family, aikido and enjoying his passions without a care in the world and free from pain. Then Odin, the AllFather, decided to set for him a life of trials, and make him A Sufferer to test his worthiness. This is how the comic book about me would have started…
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How social media has helped me find comfort and positivity in ankylosing spondylitis
When I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, no one in my ‘real’ life knew what it was, or really understood what I was facing. Online I found people who I could relate to. People who shared the positive and negative aspects of their journeys. People who wanted to offer advice, guidance, and support to each other. I went from constantly feeling dark and dreadful to recognizing that, while my life had changed, it wouldn’t all be bad. I would still have good times and happiness, and I had a new family to share all of it with.
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Think before you eat! Mindful eating for ankylosing spondylitis.
The topic of diet and inflammatory disease is saturated with conflicting advice, let me share my thoughts. I have been there, tried the diet , failed on the diet and repeated that same process for years. The pivotal moment came when I stopped concentrating on food and started to work on being self aware.
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From panic attack to self-care and hoping for a change – my way of dealing with ankylosing spondylitis.
Finding out about a medical condition like ankylosing spondylitis, that will impact you for the rest of your life can really shake you. I thought I was OK, and that I was staying positive and optimistic. I went to the urgent care clinic the week I was diagnosed because of extreme chest pains. It turns out I was having a panic attack.
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A simple night out can leave me in bed for days…
Extreme fatigue is a massive symptom of ankylosing spondylitis. It’s also one of the most frustrating symptoms to deal with. A huge part of being a young person with a chronic illness, is trying to be “normal” and it can end up to be stressful for both the mind and the body.
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Diagnosis denial – beware!
I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis aged 24. To be honest it was a real inconvenience. I was convinced they had mixed up my results. I didn’t have time for this, I had life to be getting on with! Cue denial.
read moreNot Today! – Ben’s message to ankylosing spondylitis
Ben experienced a series of blows in a short space of time but coped brilliantly with both ankylosing spondylitis and diabetes. He is currently at a six month conservation internship in the Peruvian Amazon jungle (as you can see in the video!) and is absolutely loving it, telling AS ‘Not Today!’ on a daily basis.
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