You have learned that life isn’t going to be as long as you had imagined, and your mind is reeling with a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions surrounding fears of death, being a burden on your family, loss of independence, loss of control, changes in your physical abilities and appearance, experiencing role changes, and feeling like nobody can possibly understand what any of this is like for you. The deep sadness and grief experienced with learning that you have a life limiting illness can leave you feeling that life has become meaningless, and you may even have thoughts of wanting to get it over with, not knowing how to live life in the face of death. Similarly, watching someone you care about struggle with these things can be leave you feeling utterly helpless. You want to take away their suffering and do something to fix it, but nothing you could do or say in this situation seems right.
Finding meaning and purpose while living with a life limiting illness can be elusive, and all of the worries about what lies ahead for you is inhibiting your ability to find peace and make the most of what life you have left to live.
If you are facing a life limiting illness or are struggling with how to support someone through it, there are many things you can do to make this time more manageable and do what fits for you. Getting your support system in place, connecting with resources, learning to have open and meaningful conversations about what is happening, and managing your own feelings of loss while supporting someone else through their emotional experience of it. Having the guidance and support of a counselor who is experienced in these issues can make navigating your way through life limiting illness more manageable and focused on how you want to live during what time you have available.
CONTACT ME to schedule a free 30-minute introductory session to learn more about how counseling can help you navigate life limiting illness in a way that is meaningful and supportive to your unique needs.