Spiritual and Psychological
CFS Self Help

CFS Self Help follows on from: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Spirituality.

Please also see advice for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Self Help on the page on Recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

NB. The advice on this page is useful for living with any chronic illness.



Contents List for THIS ARTICLE on spiritual and psychological self help:

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Other Articles relevant to Spiritual and Psychological - CFS Self Help

More advice that helped me move forwards when living with CFS.


Explore your spirituality and psychology - CFS Self Help

When I got ill, I decided to explore spiritual and psychological approaches for CFS self help.

I figured the more at peace I felt, the more energy my body would have available to heal.

This approach took a long time to bear the fruit of physical healing. And I continue to live with chronic illness today. Yet, I have no regrets and continue with this approach. Why?

Because I feel I am always growing. Even when my world has been as small as a room, my world has, in some ways, been BIG.

Raise self worth. Use affirmations. Be willing to experience God's love.

No matter how ill you are now, you are OK.

Whether you recover or not, you are OK.

Your worth is not defined by your health.
Your worth is not defined by what you can do or by how nice you can be.
You are inherently worthy.

To have a spiritual belief is a huge advantage here.

Many of us base our worth on what we can do.

But, if you believe in a benevolent, all-powerful God or Presence, and you believe this creative force has something to do with you being here, then you are part of something greater than yourself and you have value.

As someone said: "God doesn't do waste." If you are here you are meant to be here.

Here are some words on the subject of your inherent value in a prayer from John Henry Newman:

spirituality and illness

Decide to stay alive

It took extreme discipline to stay alive with very severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and inadequate care.

I did not have a day off being a carer (for myself) in 14 years.
I did not have a day off being ill - in physical pain and distress - for 17 years.

Death was tempting.

An important part of my CFS self help was to make a decision to stay alive to the best of my ability.

I made a decision to keep physically fighting (whilst I also worked towards spiritual surrender.)
When I realised I wasn't fully choosing life, I worked with an affirmation from the Bible: I choose life.
This was important both to my survival and my recovery.

Find a suitable pastime

It may be easier said than done, but as part of CFS self help it is important to find a pastime that is not related to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or to seeking health, and which can be done within the limits of the illness.

I started receiving guidance in the form of poems and thought-bites.

Dictating, editing and reading these poems sustained me.

It was something that did not have to be done and did not have to be done well, so it was easier to pace myself than with many other activities.

I did not know if my spiritual poems would be seen by anyone else, but now my small book Be Loved Beloved is published on kindle.

Click to read Katherine T Owen's poems on the website.

One of the gifts of living with Severe CFS was that the spiritual journey became my priority. It continues to be my priority now I live with less severe illness.

Click here to read about Pastimes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME.

Commit to feeling your feelings and expressing them safely

Whilst living with very severe CFS, my speech was limited. I also didn't have anyone I could speak to honestly about how bad things were. However, I used a dictaphone to get my thoughts out. And I used my Disability benefits to pay a typist.


Read books that nurture you

When Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at such a severe level, I could read for only a few minutes at a time out of an hour.
This was still enough to work my way, over the years, through many wonderful books on psychology and spirituality.

Forgiveness Exercises - The Release

I set out to use my own forgiveness exercise of releasing judgement as a way to find the gift within problems - problems that seemed far from being gifts!!!

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Self Therapy

A commitment to looking at your shadow self

As human beings we suppress a lot of feelings, memories and hidden beliefs about ourselves. This takes energy.

When living with a severe chronic illness which leads to a lack of energy, you may find yourself becoming aware of this shadow self.

You may choose to set out to feel the feelings and bring awareness to the memories and hidden beliefs. 

Of course, it also takes energy to look at your feelings, memories and beliefs. And it is not ideal that you do so when living with CFS /M.E.. But, as you know, life is sometimes not ideal.

If stuff comes up, it comes up.
Long term, as part of my CFS self help, it took less energy for me to look at this stuff than to live with it.

Now I am in better health, I still have a commitment to looking at the shadow self when it makes itself known.
Each time I "embrace" the shadow, it brings healing in another area of my life and I walk on with a little more joy.

Self Therapy. The World As A Projection Of Our Thoughts

Most of my therapy has been self therapy.

Self therapy becomes an obvious possibility if you accept the belief (included in A Course In Miracles) that the world is a projection of our thoughts.

If you don't like what you see, you may choose for that to be the next "thought" you explore and work to change.

The idea that the world is a projection of our thoughts is discussed a little in the section on Do Our Beliefs Create Our Reality?

And if the idea that our beliefs create our reality is already familiar to you, some of the quotes on Are We All Atheists? may be of interest.

Go here for the definition of non duality.
Non duality is the belief that God's Love is the reality and the world is an illusion.

Now, it's your chance to contribute to the discussion on CFS self help or self help relating to any other chronic illness...

Please share about your journey with Spirituality and Health Challenges

Please share your experiences and your wisdom.
Let us know about any experiences you have had that let you know that you are so much more than the illness.
Let us know if illness has motivated you to pursue the spiritual journey and the rewards that have come from that.
Let us know if you have experienced healing - mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, through your spiritual practice.

What other people LIVING with illness
have contributed to the site

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Humanity and spirituality
 
Comment by Katherine Owen: This submission on humanity and spirituality is not by a person living with CFS/ME, but it is very much in keeping with the …

Spirituality and CFS 
Quite a few people ask me questions about CFS symptoms, CFS diet etc, which don't fit well on this spiritual website, so the other year, I set up another …

MS and Spirituality 
The Bridge to a Miraculous Life I aspire to be a light of love to all who know me and all of those who do not yet know me. I am on a continuous journey …

Is Illness a Punishment? 
Katherine, I still have some energy to ask you something since i got ill bother me I'm well aware of acim and pls help me understand maybe will help …

Illness Isolation Eased 
I just stumbled upon your site yesterday and am very moved by the ordeal you went through ; my own M.E.(19 years now) has worsened dramatically the past …

spiritual causes of difficulties 
Hello All, A few years ago i struggled with many problems in life, from physical ailments to emotional and mental instability. So much so that i tried …

Illness, Jesus, healing 
Jesus - More than a Healing I wrote Katherine a letter recently telling of my anger and frustration at God for not healing me. She published this …

Is Lightning Process Christian? 
Dear  K, Further to bible quotes on healing on your website, I read other information trying to understand the mechanism through which your healing …

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Electrical Sensitivity. Get Them Recognised 
Those of you in Europe, please help to get our MEPs to sign the European Parliamentary Declaration to ensure equal recognition of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity …

Energy Healing and Christianity 
Mixing Qigong energy healing and Jesus? This is more a question than a comment, I trust this is ok!? How do you reconcile the fundamentally different …

Miracle Healing Migraine  
Migraine to Miracle, reversing the polarity law of the negative I would love to share the Miracle from migraine that I experienced on May 21, 2011...a …

Resting in God -
A Commitment To Practice
 
I just wanted to say Hello and that yesterday I had another look at your wonderful website. I read about resting in God and I have decided to set aside …

How Can I Change Bad Thoughts? 
Thank you katherine. Loneliness is easier not to bother family with. Also the feeling inside beside pain is unreal. How can I change bad thoughts? …

Fear, Illness, Spirituality 
Hi Katherine, I live with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /CFS. I was just wondering if there is anything you could direct me to on your blog about Fear related …

Tips on How To Rest Gave Encouragement 
Thank you. The info about resting gave me encouragement. Often I feel like I wasn't trying hard enough would become depressed! I will try self …

I Believe God Wants Me Well, But I Havent Seen It Yet 
I am 23, have had CFS/ME for 8 years. I totally believe God wants everybody well but I haven't seen it yet in my life. I've recently had a really bad …

The Love Available To All 
Go. Tell your message to the world. The support you found in a loving God, To those who feel isolated. Share your passion for vitality In the life-giving …

Recognition of Someone Who Truly Understood...Not the Only One 
Dear Katherine...When I opened your site, and started to watch your video of you climbing the stairs, I just sat here, so still, and I read those words …

My Miracle - Healing From Tinnitus 
I had a miracle Katherine... a dramatic one! PLEASE NOTE: MOST OF THIS HEALING TINNITUS POST ALONG WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED TO …

CALAMITY IN A CARE HOME 
My husband, Robert E. Hall, 89, fell last September and is in a care home. He cannot walk nor pull himself up. He still has a sense of humor, and so do …

Knowing It Must Be My Fault
I Am Ill with CFS
 
Dear Katherine Thank you so much for your gift - the FREE PDF book on the Release - what a blessing :-) I also wanted to thank you for being an …

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Be Loved
Beloved

15 Spiritual Love Poems
God Love Self Love

(by the author of a-spiritual-journey-of-healing.com)

For 14 years, Katherine T Owen was severely disabled with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, unable to walk, with little speech, and with inadequate care.

Katherine's small beautiful collection of poems take the reader with her as she journeys to know both self love and
God's love.

Be Loved Beloved. Cover for Kindle book of spiritual love poems.

If you don't have a kindle, you can download FREE software to read the kindle book on your computer.


Buy the paperback on Lulu

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the PAPERBACK of
Be Loved Beloved


"One thing that struck me was the stripping of ego in the work. Most of us have a comfy ego façade, but weakness and disease tore Katherine’s away. The poems in Be Loved Beloved come from the heart."

Dana Taylor, Author of Ever-Flowing Streams: Tapping into Healing Energy

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    Easter Jesus.powerful poem. Scourging at the pillar, crown of thorns. Jesus carries the cross. Jesus Christ crucifixion. Based on St Matthew’s gospel.

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