慢性疾病和羞恥之間的聯(lián)系

慢性疾病和羞恥之間的聯(lián)系

Chronic illnesses take a toll on both the body and mind. Not only is there suffering and sickness, but many people with chronic illness or pain often experience depression as well. Feelings of sadness are normal, but there’s one feeling that can be particularly debilitating: shame.

慢性疾病對身心都有損害。不僅有痛苦和疾病，而且許多有慢性疾病或疼痛的人也經(jīng)常經(jīng)歷抑郁。悲傷的感覺是正常的，但有一種感覺特別讓人衰弱:羞恥。

When it comes to shame and chronic illness, the link between physical and emotional health is strong. (Photo: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock)

No one wants to talk about shame. Like chronic illness itself, the difficulty of shame is something we want to ignore. But it’s time we look at illness-related shame in the same light as the actual symptoms of sickness and come up with solutions.

沒有人想談?wù)撔邜u。就像慢性疾病本身一樣，羞恥的困難是我們想要忽視的。但是，現(xiàn)在是時候把與疾病相關(guān)的羞恥感與疾病的實際癥狀放在一起看待了，并提出解決辦法。

Public perception and fear of compassion

公眾對同情的看法和恐懼

As with any illness, you have to look at the cause before you can find a cure; the same goes for illness-related shame. Most people who experience this type of shame do so because of the way chronic sickness is perceived by others, writes Katie Willard Virant in Psychology Today.

與任何疾病一樣，在找到治愈方法之前，你必須先找出原因;與疾病相關(guān)的羞恥也是如此。《今日心理學(xué)》的凱蒂•威拉德•維蘭特寫道，大多數(shù)經(jīng)歷過這種羞恥的人之所以這樣做，是因為其他人對慢性疾病的看法。

Those who suffer from chronic illness often feel like they stand out. They may feel self-conscious about their physical appearance, special needs or having to depend on friends and family. For some, chronic illness feels like a permanent stamp on the forehead, and they may avoid social interactions altogether.

那些患有慢性疾病的人常常覺得自己與眾不同。他們可能會對自己的外表、特殊需求或不得不依賴朋友和家人感到難為情。對一些人來說，慢性疾病就像是額頭上的永久印記，他們可能會完全避免社交活動。

Not only does hiding illness-related shame from others cause further psychological duress, but letting it perpetuate can increase stress and worsen physical health as well, according to a study from the Medical Humanities journal.

《醫(yī)學(xué)人文期刊》的一項研究顯示，向他人隱瞞與疾病相關(guān)的羞恥不僅會導(dǎo)致進一步的心理壓力，而且讓這種壓力持續(xù)下去還會增加壓力，惡化身體健康。

Self-reflection as a healing mechanism

自我反省是一種治愈機制

It’s important to look inward and understand why your illness is causing you to feel shame. (Photo: Lucas Sankey [CC0]/Wikimedia Commons)

If you experience illness-related shame, you should examine your shame triggers. Virant suggests that, "As you keep track of all the ways that your illness triggers shame, reflect on the beliefs that underlie these triggers. Ask yourself: What am I afraid of?"

如果你經(jīng)歷了與疾病相關(guān)的羞恥，你應(yīng)該檢查你的羞恥觸發(fā)點。Virant建議，“當你追蹤你的疾病觸發(fā)羞愧的所有方式時，反思這些觸發(fā)背后的信念。問問你自己:我害怕什么?”

Once you identify your fears — whether they be centered around appearance, self-worth or dependence — it's important to acknowledge and accept them, but not to make yourself feel bad about it to the point of humiliation.

一旦你確定了你的恐懼——無論它們是圍繞著外表、自我價值還是依賴——承認和接受它們是很重要的，但不要讓自己感覺糟糕到丟臉的地步。

"If you find yourself hating the limitations imposed by your illness, honor that feeling and allow yourself to grieve," writes Virant. "But separate out grief from shame. Try to extricate yourself from that feeling, reminding yourself that you deserve better."

“如果你發(fā)現(xiàn)自己討厭疾病帶來的限制，尊重這種感覺，允許自己悲傷，”維蘭特寫道。但要把悲痛和羞愧分開。試著把自己從那種感覺中解脫出來，提醒自己你應(yīng)該得到更好的。”

While much illness-related shame is linked to public perception, it’s important to look inward and understand why. Once you understand which parts of your illness are affecting you the most, try and let your friends or loved ones know how you’re feeling; don’t let it fester to the point where the shame is suffocating and you’ve given yourself little room to breathe. As with any emotional strain, self-awareness followed by dialogue is integral in fighting stigma.

雖然很多與疾病相關(guān)的恥辱感與公眾的看法有關(guān)，但重要的是要審視自己，并理解其中的原因。一旦你明白了你身體的哪些部位對你影響最大，試著讓你的朋友或愛人知道你的感受;不要讓它潰爛到讓恥辱窒息的地步，你已經(jīng)給了自己一點呼吸的空間。與任何情緒緊張一樣，在與恥辱作斗爭時，自我意識和對話是不可或缺的。

When it comes to the shame that can accompany chronic illness, remember that the knot between physical and emotional health is tied tightly. The shame needs to be addressed, recognized and talked about in order for those with chronic illness to live the best life they can.

當談到與慢性疾病相伴的恥辱時，請記住，身體和情感健康之間的結(jié)是緊密相連的。這種羞恥感需要被正視和討論，這樣慢性病患者才能過上最好的生活。