Hi @fisbo. I'm so impressed and moved by the honest, heartfelt posts from members regarding difficulty of acceptance. It truly is a process that's unique for each person with a timeline that can not be predicted. Taking small steps each day to ensure that you will get there is a great place to start, and even if those small steps don't feel like they're getting you anywhere, they do build up and get you there.

When I first arrived on Connect I was in flat out denial of my small fiber neuropathy diagnosis. It wasn't until I caught on to how the central nervous system functions and the importance of the mind/body connection. How by identifying ourselves as "having value" and not just by our condition or disease, brought significant value towards achieving acceptance. Reminding ourselves that although the picture of what we once thought life would look like has changed, it does not mean that we still can not enjoy life.

Hurting and being in denial leads to many cognitive errors. For instance, filtering out the good and focusing on the bad and letting negative thoughts and comments outweigh positivity. Catastrophizing, over generalizing and personalizing are all joy robbers. Some of the small steps that helped me while I was struggling to find acceptance, was to focus on finding small joys and small wins again. I began a daily gratitude journal so I could physically see in print what I was grateful for and shift focus away from negativity. I began working on "catch and correct" - catching myself being negative or having sad thoughts and correcting by replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. It also helped to realize that I deserved the same positive encouragement and advice that I would offer someone I loved and cared about.

Please keep your chin up and know that each day is a new day to start over and keep trying. Maybe work on writing down your worries when you feel panicked to release them from your mind. Remind yourself that you've gotten this far in life and survived 100% percent of what you've been through in the past and you'll survive this too. Rooting for you!