Emotional Challenges of Chronic Illness Like Interstitial Cystitis

It is common for people who are diagnosed with a chronic illness like interstitial cystitis to pass through the same “Stages of Grief” that were first described in 1969 by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross in her ground-breaking book On Death and Dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

The important thing to recognize is that Kübler-Ross describes a cyclical journey through these stages to a state of acceptance. Some contemporary therapists have actually renamed this process the “Stages of Acceptance.” Individuals may experience the stages in a different order and may even re-cycle through the stages before coming to some sense of peace with their situation. In fact, it is not unusual for IC patients to describe what they feel as they accept their condition as a “new normal.”

It can help to identify what stage you are in, in particular, how you feel about implementing an IC diet. If you are in denial or are angry, you are not likely to make many changes in the beginning. The important thing to remember in these stages, however, is that you not alone. Almost everyone does or should make better food choices for one reason or another whether they are overweight, diabetic, or have a history of heart disease in their family.

Another common situation you may face as a chronic illness patient is bargaining. In many ways, a patient in this stage is getting closer to accepting their situation. They realize that they need to change their diet, but may not want to go all the way. You may be saying things like, “I will do anything you say except give up my tea.” Or, you might procrastinate changing your diet telling yourself that you will start an elimination diet after your son’s wedding (or after the cruise, or after graduation, etc.).

The fourth stage defined by Kübler-Ross is depression--characterized by a sense of “pre-acceptance”—the idea that the person has generally accepted their condition, but is experiencing heavy emotions about it. Many IC patients actually get stuck in this phase for a long time, especially when it comes to their food. They may follow an interstitial cystitis diet, but feel beaten down or resolute to never enjoying food again. If you find yourself in this phase, make it a point to try new recipes one day a week or brainstorm substitutions in your diet for foods you cannot have. This stage can be a preview to acceptance.

Finally, what does dietary acceptance look like to an IC patient? As you may guess, this depends entirely on the person, but I like to think of it as a more active, peaceful stage than the previous four. In short, people who finally accept their situation become more engaged in the process of helping themselves. Interstitial cystitis patients who accept the fact that they need to change their diet can focus their energy on determining their personal trigger foods, researching new recipes, and creatively finding substitutes for foods they may be missing. These patients often make great mentors to newly diagnosed patients.

What stage are you in? How have you managed to navigate the various stages of acceptance?