Life with Chronic Conditions: Scrooged Not Screwed (Opportunities for Change)

How many times has something happened and you’ve said, “I’m screwed?” But in looking back on that experience, did you find that it may have had some positive outcomes that you couldn’t see at the time?

 Throughout our lives we will deal with crises and experiences that sometimes feel like they’ll destroy us. Right now, that is a very common sentiment being expressed by many people, particularly about the state of our country. However, if you study history, you’ll see that turbulent times and situations can result in some good and lasting change.

 

Maybe because of Vermont’s cold nights, I’ve been thinking of Dickens character Scrooge and how terrified he is when he encounters the four ghosts.  However, it’s a story of transformation. Dickens focused primarily on the crisis part, with far fewer words on how Scrooge implemented the change. I’m sure there was some back sliding on the part of Scrooge before he fully embraced his new approach to life. But I digress.

 

When a crisis happens, we spend an amazing amount of time worrying, obsessing, being angry, endless complaining, blaming, being depressed and so forth. We don’t naturally think of it as a “growth” opportunity. But here is where the Stoics can be helpful.

 

If you are not familiar with the Stoics, these ancient Greek philosophers were clear that life is going to be pretty miserable if one spends their time worrying about things they have no control over. Interestingly, the word crisis comes from the Greek and means “decide.” Consequently, the Stoic approach would be to focus on what you can control, accept and/or tolerate what you can’t and reframing it so the crisis is a growth opportunity.

 

Interestingly, it is the work of these philosophers that is the basis for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a psycho-social intervention that focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, improve emotional regulation and create a suite of coping strategies to solve problematic issues. CBT Exercises and Techniques

 

So the next time you find yourself in a very challenging situation, be clear about what you can control and look for the opportunities for positive change, recognizing that you aren’t screwed but rather Scrooged.