How do you cope short and long term with your life?

soo

I'm 62 ( in 2 weeks) have had type2 diabetes for 20 years on insulin. It has affected legs, hands, eyes, kidneys, and bowel. Multiple hospital appts. a month. Am a happy-go-lucky and live-and-let-live sort. Live with Godson and 2 elderly rescued Labradors called Jet and Amber. Looking forward to others views on how you cope short and long term with your life.

gnmeads

Hi soo welcome to the Scope community.
I hope we can help you in any way

CockneyRebel

Hi soo and a very big and warm welcome to you

We are here to listen, help and support in any way we can

As to your question, I had to look at the same thing recently due to a big change in my treatment. I have COPD plus other stuff and was put on oxygen therapy for 8 hours a day. It seemed to me taht I was for ever either on oxygen or waiting to go on it. My day was all about my therapy, that was all I could think about. I was becoming a sick person, I thought like a sick person so never got anything done, my life was over. I had always been active having been a mechanic, builder, car sprayer and many other things. It came to a point when I had to order my oxygen and panicing that I would run out over a bank holiday.
Thats when I had a light bulb moment. I wasn't a sick person, I was a person that is sick. Bieng sick was not the definition of me, first and formost I was a person.
By changing my mindset I got my life back.

CR 

Sam_Alumni

Hi Soo 

Welcome to the community

[Deleted User]

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DIV

i am a disabled 'newbie' due to mobility issues  (now wheelchair user) and hope to get inspiration from others.

Bazalad

I might have CP but I  am a person too

thespiceman

Hello I take one day at a time and try to make a day count.  Do something I enjoy.  I have anxiety and constant fear of what lies in store ahead.  So I need to be organised especially with my disability.  Plan the week for meals simple stuff.  Use a diary.  Life as I get older is being a struggle and I need my independence much as possible.  I had a long tem addiction history both drugs and alcohol.  Mainly alcohol for thirty years.  This year been clean ten so I need to try to not be stressed.  Get feelings of wanting to drink every day so I need to and have to try and have coping plans in place.  Hope any of this helps

Barrylad1957

Hello soo
One of the main obstacles I encounter with coping day-to-day is self despair; I have to avoid thoughts of it all being pointless and hopeless. Since I joined this forum just a few weeks ago now, I find it a great source of support to read about the daily tribulations of others on here who manage to keep their spirits up despite being afflicted by conditions both physical and mental that are far worse than my own. They say that you only complain about having no shoes until you meet someone who has no feet, and every day I am online here, I am given the opportunity to compare how lucky I am to have what I have.
Its a great source of inspiration, to read posts filled with humour and hope, written by folks who have dreadful conditions they must bear day in day out; stops me feeling so sorry for myself and reminds me what I've got in my life. I have to avoid social contact (outside of my immediate family and long term friends) at all costs, and as a result, I get bored and 'distracted' very easily; I rarely watch tv, and only go online when I am here at my daughter's, to come on here, check my emails etc.
So, I use the life experiences of others to inspire me, I also read a lot, and lately have received 'Natural sound' effect apps from my daughter, so I can read to a backdrop of thunder storms, rainfall, crackling fire, and whalesong. I thought I would find it distracting and annoying, to be honest, but its actually great, and can calm me when I get the monsters. You sound like you've got a heavy load to carry, hope you find as much solace on here as I have. Stay safe.

May07

Im a disabled wheel chair recently widowed now living alone its extremely hard both physically emotionally and mentally I do have a home help but the loneliness I feel is so over powering I have Fibromyalga M. E Degenerative disc disease colitis inflammatory bowl disease  IBS cognitive thinking problems EUPD Hypersensitivity titinus & arthritis & chronic pain disorder most of my friends have stopped visiting & I don't have family that bother other than my to married sons that both work full time I try to get up every day n wash n dress even if I'm just sitting alone other wise the days blur into weeks then the weeks blur into months and before you know it you become so anxious of going out you become a hermit n hide away making things feel even worse I believe in a positive out look you have to look at what you do have NOT what you don't have believe me you will go mad trying other wise this is coming from someone who had had numerous break downs over the last 22 months both emotionally and mentally and physically please stay safe and all we can do is our best some days may be easier than others but we can not give up life is precious as is time use it do not waste it xx