5 Ways to Be There For Your Chronically Ill Friend

It is extremely difficult living with a chronic illness, especially if your friends don't have enough experience in interacting with someone who is chronically ill. I, myself, have a chronic illness and I know how hard it can be on your friends and family when they don't know how to approach the subject. To help combat this, here are 5 ways to be there for your chronically ill friend.

1. Be patient.

Your friend will likely be busy resting, healing, and traveling to and from doctor's appointments, and might not be able to do much with you. Please, be patient with them, they are trying their best and, trust me, they do really want to spend time with you, but their health in unreliable and makes it difficult to do so.

2. Listen.

There are a lot of obstacles that we, as chronically ill people, have to conquer. For example: getting out of bed, getting dressed, eating, bathing, etc. Sometimes, we just need someone to vent to and someone to listen to us. Your friend probably feels like they're being selfish, and will sometimes need you to reassure them that you are there to listen to them.

3. Do some research.

Something wonderful that you can do is to research your friend's illness(es). Learn more about what they have to go through on a daily basis and it will help you understand, at least somewhat, of what is going on in their body. I know that I really appreciate it when a friend researches my illnesses because it makes me feel like they really care.

4. Ask what you can do for them.

I know, I know. Not everyone wants or will accept help, but hear me out. Sometimes your friend will not be able to do simple tasks, which is okay. It's hard to do when you are so focused on your body. You could ask what you could do for them that would be helpful, such as taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, picking up prescriptions, or just something as simple as bringing some fresh flowers into the house. I have quite a lot of trouble doing tasks like these, so it makes me feel better when people ask if there's something they can do to help me out a little.

5. Be understanding.

This tip kind of ties into #1 a bit. Please be understanding with your chronically ill friend. They won't be able to go out sometimes, and it's your job as a friend to be understanding. It takes a lot of energy to go out, and sometimes they just don't have that energy. They are going through a lot, fighting with their own body is a full-time feat, and it is not for the faint of heart. All we ask is that you be understanding and patient with us because we are doing what we can with what we have, and that is okay.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and put them to use! Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you joy and grace.