Gratitude can be more than difficult with chronic illness. It's hard to find things to be thankful for, when facing pain, limited mobility or increasing disabilities.  And, as I've been told more than once, there's nothing worse than having a healthy person try to cheer you up, or get you out of a funk, when you feel they don't really understand.

So, I've asked Jeff to share some Thanksgiving thoughts with you----

Jeff tells me that the worst thing a healthy person can do with a friend or relative with MS is try to empathize--by saying things like, "I know how you feel!  I get tired, too!" , "Getting older means more body aches!"  or the dreaded, "But you look SO great!"  

It just doesn't help.  

Jeff loves Dr. Amen.  http://www.amenclinics.com   

He first saw him on a PBS special a few years ago, and loved his scientific proof that we can change our brains with exercise and nutrition.  Jeff's bought all his books, and has found his explanations, recipes and advice easy to follow. (Plus, as he reminds me, Dr. Amen is a real doctor :-)

Dr. Amen suggests keeping a "Gratitude Journal" and explains how it can help retrain the brain and ease depression.  Jeff decided to try it out.  It's a really simple thing. Every day, he writes down a few things that he's thankful for, on a pad in his office. He meditates on these items, then offers up some thanks. And it helps him feel more positive during the day.   He says he knows it's working, because he's started to see more good in the world around him, and to feel more thankful for the simple gifts he'd taken for granted.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's the neuroscience of gratitude, with a study on chronic illness and gratitude journals---just to include a bit of science in all this. (That's my contribution :-)

A recent study on gratitude was conducted with adults having congenital and adult-onset neuromuscular disorders (NMDs), with the majority having post-polio syndrome (PPS). The participants were asked to write down things they were grateful for in a gratitude journal, before going to sleep.  

Compared to those who were not jotting down their blessings nightly, participants in the gratitude group reported more hours of sleep each night, and feeling more refreshed upon awakening. The gratitude group also reported more satisfaction with their lives as a whole, felt more optimism about the upcoming week, and felt considerably more connected with others than did participants in the control group.

Perhaps most tellingly, the positive changes were markedly noticeable to others. According to the researchers, "Spouses of the participants in the gratitude (group) reported that the participants appeared to have higher subjective well-being than did the spouses of the participants in the control (group)."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ocean-robbins/having-gratitude-_b_1073105.html

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

sending Thanksgiving wishes, and lots of thanks for this wonderful community.

Be well,

Joan and Jeff