Does Illness Cloud Our Perceptions?

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” Proverbs 19:11

    When illness has me at my worst, I am ten times more likely to perceive something as an insult, to be offended, or to lose my temper. Occasionally this deterioration in my mood, this detrimental mental and emotional liability change, sneaks up on me. But I try very hard to be aware of it and adjust my thinking to account for it.

    There are times when our illness affects our mental and emotional health to the point that we are hurting our relationships and interactions with others. We do not comprehend how badly our illness has affected us, or cannot control how it is affecting us.

    Depression, anxiety, endless worry, and cognitive issues can arrive with long term illnesses. We may need medication, therapy, counseling, or the intervention of friends and family to enable us to understand and cope with the mental and emotional effects of illness.

    I hate the mental and emotional liabilities of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Sometimes my mood gets so bad I do not recognize myself. It helps to pray about things. It helps to pour out my frustrations to the Lord. Anchoring my brain in God’s Word also helps. 

    Perhaps you are even now in the throes of skewed perceptions due to your particular illness. You may need help working through such issues. We must take stock of our mental and emotional state, and consider whether our reactions are appropriate to the situation. More than anything else we must ask for wisdom from above.

    Prayer: Dear Lord, our illnesses make us susceptible to mental and emotional issues and poor responses from perceptions that may not align with the facts. We need Your wisdom and guidance to help us, especially during times when our perceptions are skewed. Thank You, Lord. Amen.