Chronic Illness

(Resources at bottom of page.)

Our whole being, though one, is made of many parts, each mysteriously interwoven. One part automatically affects the others.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27

“Mountains of evidence now demonstrate with unshakeable certainty that the body suffers from abuse and trauma well after it has ended.” Like the heart and mind and soul are injured, and therefore carry that injury long into the future, so does the body, even though it is not presently being harmed. If left unattended, it will often fester until it breeds infection and manifests itself in worse ways. Rather than ignore the pain, we must listen to it “as a gift that contains an important message worthy of being heard and honored.”1

I’ve held onto pain so long until it broke my body. Chronic illnesses have exploded within me over the years, especially the last six. Once vibrant and healthy, I’ve all but forgotten what it feels like to be well. After years of exhausting every test available, my doctors conclude I match no common medical criteria that would explain the reason for the diseases my body carries. Recent decades of evidence show this is common among those who bear the heartache of abuse.

My counselor said the body knows grief before the mind does. Further, my acupuncturist and MD explained that sometimes the body doesn’t process trauma until long after the stressful event has passed. When we slow down to focus on healing, the body sometimes exhibits all it has carried and all we have internalized during the prior years of merely surviving.

Certainly, not all chronic illnesses stem from prior or current suffering or trauma. But the evidence that it can and does is worth exploring.

This also does not mean we are hopelessly left to unending torture. Though it is a journey not taken by many, tending the whole person "is a healing path that seems, at first, worse than the disease. It is not. It is life-giving, freeing, and empowering.”1 I can attest to this firsthand.

While it appears much of the chronic illnesses I endure are a result of trauma (not all of it from abuse, either), I have resources available to explore no matter how someone became ill, or if your trauma looks different than mine.

More on this coming soon.

 

 

Resources

CHILDREN'S BOOK FOR FAMILIES LEARNING TO NAVIGATE CHRONIC ILLNESS, (illustrated by me)

I've illustrated the world around me since I was old enough to hold a crayon. My creativity appeared on many canvases beyond paper, including hand-painted cake art, custom wood/word art, and blogging through my journey with God to heal from trauma. Multiple chronic illnesses changed the trajectory of my empty nest. The love of my husband and our four adult children as we walk this difficult terrain together inspired me to illustrate this children's book.

Soft Hugs for Mommy tells the story of a loving family as they navigate the challenges of Mommy's chronic pain condition. Filled with tender moments and loving gestures, it seeks to encourage understanding and unconditional love. A talented author who draws from her personal experience with fibromyalgia shares this sweet story. Another chronic illness warrior skillfully illustrates the story with hand painted pictures. Together, author and illustrator capture the emotions and experiences of each character with warmth and tenderness. Soft Hugs for Mommy continues with a “Let’s Talk” section to open the conversation between parent and child. These questions, created with a child psychologist, offer a space for children to express their feelings about Mommy's illness.

Request a signed copy by clicking the image below.

Author Mandy Farmer offers monthly soft hugs and free downloadables to encourage you on your journey when you follow her at Mandy Farmer

BLOG POSTS

BOOKS that help me

SOMATIC (nervous system) COGNITIVE (brain) and SPIRITUAL FORMATION HEALING (I personally have Sarah as my Coach)

 

1 quote from Healing the Wounded Heart by Dan Allender, emphasis mine

This blog is a participant in Amazon's Associate's program.

Scroll to Top