It is easy to see how this change in your life can affect the way you deal with yourself and with others. You may worry, at first, about how your friends and family will respond when they notice the changes in you. Or you may be surprised at the intensity of your own emotional responses to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Many of the emotions triggered by RA are those we would rather not experience. Eventually, however, you and all of the people around you will learn how to cope with RA, including the accompanying emotions.

The feelings we have about the changes taking place in our lives are completely natural, but that doesn’t mean we have to let them control us. For example, we know that a person who is plagued by negative thoughts and feelings is much more likely to feel tired than a person whose thoughts are optimistic. Persistent negative emotions drain human energies. If you are overcome by negativity, then you are reducing the amount of energy that is available to you for other activities such as dining out, swimming, painting – all of the things you like to do.

One of the emotions you may experience is grief; you may initially grieve because you have arthritis. This is nothing to be ashamed of because everyone grieves over losses. Most people want others to share their grief too, and they find that this helps them overcome their sense of loss. Learning to understand your feelings and cope with them will help you in all aspects of your life. On the other hand, if you let your feelings control you; they may affect your ability to cope with arthritis and every other aspect of your daily living. You can face these emotions head on and redirect your energy toward improving your condition.
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ARTHRITIS