Designing a Social Life Around the Limits of Lupus

When lupus is active, symptoms of joint stiffness, pain, extreme fatigue, confusion, or depression can make even simple tasks difficult, and sometimes impossible. You should not ignore the limitations that come with this disease but there are steps you can take to stay active with work, relationships, and events that enrich your life.

Achieving social and emotional wellness can be important aspects of coping with lupus. Read Designing a Social Life Around the Limits of Lupus from the LFA's Lupus Now Magazine and let us know - how do you balance your social life with your lupus?

Coping with Lupus

Successfully managing lupus starts with awareness: awareness of your particular symptoms and how lupus affects you; awareness of what you can do to prevent flares, and what you can do if you experience a flare; and awareness of the best coping strategies and techniques to reduce stress.

However, awareness by itself isn’t the complete solution. You will want to plan and act in ways that limit or avoid the burdens, discomforts, and difficulties that lupus can cause, so the illness does not stop you from doing things you enjoy in life.

Here are some resources that may help you find ways to cope with the disease. 

Lupus and You
Let’s talk about how you feel about you. It is important to understand the significant difference between viewing yourself as a person with a chronic illness and viewing yourself as a chronically ill person.

Lupus on the Job
The type of work schedule someone with lupus can accommodate is variable. Many people with lupus are able to work a full-time job, others find they have to cut back to part-time. This section discusses how you deal with your lupus in a work environment.

Dealing with Stress: Balancing Family, Friends, Activities and Lupus 
November 2010 15 Questions with Ms. Cindy Coney 

Social Wellness, Making Connections and Helping Others Understand What You Go through with Lupus
November 2009 webchat transcript with Ms. Cindy Coney 

Learn more about Coping with Lupus

Share your experience! What strategies have you used to cope with lupus? What has helped you balance and manage your disease? We'd love to hear from you.