It may seem strange to blame yourself if you’re sick, but this is something that millions of people do on a daily basis. This is especially true for diseases such as diabetes or other weight related diseases.
The general belief is that these diseases could have been prevented if the patient was more vigilant and had taken the necessary precautions and remedial actions during the early stages.
The unfortunate truth is that usually the problems could have been prevented in the early stages, but the patient was complacent and now things have become bad. This knowledge weighs heavily on the patients’ minds and bogs them down.
If left to spiral out of control, it can lead to depression and stress. This in turn will lead to more problems since stress opens the door for many other health issues to take root.
The key to overcoming guilt about your health is to learn to let go. You’ll need to accept your mistakes and forgive yourself. This is often one of the most difficult things to do because most people are hardest on themselves. They figuratively beat themselves with a stick over and over for the same mistakes.
This relentless onslaught not only weakens your resolve, but also makes you lose your strength and will-power. When you’re coping with diseases such as diabetes, etc. you’ll be required to watch your diet, monitor your blood sugar levels and so on.
If you’re feeling down and blaming yourself for your health, these negative emotions will not allow you to be proactive. You’re in a negative state. All good things need to arise from a positive state.
Your state of mind directly and indirectly impacts your health. Yes, you may have made mistakes before and the situation may be serious now… but your body is waiting to recover, and it needs your help and attention.
Guilt and blame are not productive in the least. In fact, these emotions are more detrimental to your well-being than the disease itself. You may wish to journal your thoughts and emotions so that you can experience some relief.
Another way to find release from your pent-up frustration will be to speak to a loved one or a professional counselor. Just talking about your problems can be helpful.
If you’re a man and you find it hard to speak about your feelings, very often, action will help you remedy this problem. Feeling guilty about your poor health?
No problem. Start exercising. Clean up your diet. Take up new activities to fix the problem. The very act of doing something to help yourself will make you feel better.
Here’s the catch – DO NOT wait till you are in the mood before you do something productive. When you’re feeling guilty and sad, you’ll be in a state of inertia. Your mind will wallow in misery and blame for as long as you let it.
You need to start on the positive actions even when you’re feeling down. Do it despite being in a poor mood. Then and only then, will you start feeling better. You get the ‘high’ and sense of achievement after the action. Not before.
Forgive yourself. Love who you are and make changes for the better. Your future depends on what you do today.