Having rheumatoid arthritis is stressful in itself but through our day-to-day lives we deal with so many things that cause us additional stress.  Things that occur on your job, simple things that my happen in a store, driving in traffic and the things we have to do once we’re home from a long day at work.  Either way, we have stressful things going on in our lives.

Finally, we start to feel that familiar pain that we know so well.  As hard as we try not to stress, it’s almost an impossible task. We know that it is not good for us so we do try to keep it at bay but it tends to sneak up on us anyway.  At some point we then find ourselves getting more stressed because we have contributed to the flare by stressing so here we have it; something like a revolving door, the stress-the pain-the pain-the stress.  Then we settle down for what we know is the only thing that will probably help us with the flare, prednisone.  Boy do we hate taking that but it’s what works for most of us.

So I guess the thing here is how do we control our stress.  How do we keep ourselves from doing what we know will make us feel worse.  The answer I’m not sure of.  It’s complicated even though it seems it could be easy when you say “don’t stress” but in reality it’s easier said than done.  We all would jump at a chance to stop something that is not good for us but stressing is what we do and causing a flare for so many of us is what it does.

Do stress bring on my flares, yes it does. I personally try not to stress but I still do and I get upset with myself for it. So the real question is, how do we stop ourselves from stressing and is this a realistic thing to expect from ourselves.  What do you think….