Celebrating the Strengths of a Lupus Warrior
People living with lupus develop strengths that are unique to this journey, and it’s time we paused to honor and celebrate the strengths of a lupus warrior. In the face of discomfort, pain, and fatigue, doctor’s visits, invisible symptoms that others may not understand or acknowledge, and the anxiety, disappointment, and uncertainty that often clouds the lupus experience, people with lupus live full, meaningful lives.
Many people facing lupus turn back to offer encouragement, inspiration, and positivity to those who are newly diagnosed, transforming their battle with lupus into a personal mission to raise awareness about the disease. Others carry forward with courage and a renewed sense of compassion for those in their life who are facing a myriad of difficulties, whether they are parenting a child with a disability, walking alongside an aging parent, or supporting a friend through a difficult time. Drawing upon their own strength, they inspire others to do the same in the face of life’s challenges.
Here are 10 strengths of a lupus warrior that are worth celebrating:
- Self-awareness – Living with lupus means tuning into your body in ways that others may never master. You learn to look out for cues that your body needs rest, at-home symptom management, or medical attention, and respond to those cues accordingly. Building self-awareness improves your ability to make sound decisions, improve your relationships, and increase emotional intelligence.[3,7]
- Empathy – Posttraumatic growth is a term that describes positive psychological changes that can follow highly challenging, stressful life circumstances, like a lupus diagnosis. It helps us to recognize others’emotions and better understand what others are going through.[2] All of the challenges that lupus brings can build deep empathy and compassion.
- Advocacy – Many people with lupus find themselves becoming confident advocates, when they are discussing their symptoms with their doctor, negotiating an accommodating work plan with their employer, or even speaking out about lupus on social media or other platforms. Advocating for yourself and your needs grows confidence in your voice and an assurance that what you have to say matters.
- Patience – On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to receive a diagnosis, and then finding the right medications to manage the disease can take months or even years.[8] The journey of a lupus warrior requires patience – patience with the progress of diagnosis and treatment, patience with others who might not understand the invisible symptoms associated with lupus, and most importantly patience with yourself as shifting symptoms frustrate plans and slow progress toward personal goals.
- Courage – Living with lupus requires great courage, getting out of bed each morning not knowing how you might feel today, living your life through the pain and fatigue, showing up in your relationships even when lupus leaves you feeling alone in your symptoms. Being a warrior implies exceptional bravery, something people battling lupus certainly possess.
- Adaptability – When your symptoms feel unpredictable and flare-ups happen unexpectedly, you learn to adapt. Finding coping strategies to adjust to your current reality with lupus is not easy, but ultimately builds skills that can help you draw on your adaptability in many other areas of life.[5]
- Self-compassion – Self-compassion provides a ray of hope in the midst of the fatigue, pain, isolation, and stigma of living with a chronic illness like lupus. In fact, people who practice self-compassion are more likely to experience less shame, make healthier choices, and feel more empowered to carry on with the task of daily life in the face of lupus.[4] Overall, mastering self-compassion leads to resilience, increased productivity, and decreased stress in all areas of life.[10]
- Resilience – The ability to withstand or recover quickly from life’s difficulties is a great asset in living with lupus. Resilience may actually improve health outcomes for people living with a chronic illness, reducing anxiety and depression, and increasing quality of life.[12]
- Perseverance – Lupus warriors build incredible perseverance, grappling with symptoms that may lead to feelings of helplessness at times, but ultimately continuing on in the fight for a full life in spite of lupus. When one treatment fails, people living with lupus keep searching for a solution. Perseverance can lead to personal and professional success, fending off depression and anxiety, and enhancing purposefulness and resilience.[6]
- Acceptance – A lupus diagnosis can feel like strapping into a roller coaster ride that you can’t get off of – there are many ups and downs, and you’re not in control of the route. Accepting the reality of the diagnosis can increase your social, emotional, and physical well-being, and improve your mood, significantly impacting health outcomes. Having a clear understanding of lupus, a realistic perspective on your ability to overcome the limitations of the disease, normalizing life with a chronic illness, and taking responsibility for your care can all contribute to a healthy acceptance of the role of lupus in your life.[1,9]
When lupus leaves you feeling down and discouraged, remember the many significant strengths of a lupus warrior that you possess. These strengths are within you, even when you don’t feel them, even on days when resting in bed and having a good cry is all you can do. Remember all that you’ve conquered already, and celebrate the strengths you’ve cultivated on this journey with lupus.
- Casier, A., Goubert, L., Theunis, M., Huse, D., De Baets, F., Matthys, D., & Crombez, G. (2011). Acceptance and well-being in adolescents and young adults with cystic fibrosis: a prospective study. Journal of pediatric psychology, 36(4), 476-487.
- Elam, T., & Taku, K. (2022). Differences Between Posttraumatic Growth and Resiliency: Their Distinctive Relationships With Empathy and Emotion Recognition Ability. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(825161). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.825161
- Eurich, T. (2018, January 4). What self-awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate it). Harvard Business Review; Harvard Business Publishing. https://hbr.org/2018/01/what-self-awareness-really-is-and-how-to-cultivate-it
- Finlay-Jones, A., Boggiss, A., & Serlachius, A. (2023). Self-Compassion and Chronic Medical Conditions. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health, 329–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22348-8_19
- Livneh, H., & Antonak, R. F. (2005). Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability: A Primer for Counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 83(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2005.tb00575.x
- Luna, K. (2021). Perseverance Toward Life Goals Can Fend Off Depression, Anxiety, Panic Disorders. Apa.org. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/goals-perseverance
- Mayer, J. D., Roberts, R. D., & Sigal Barsade. (2008, February). Human Abilities: Emotional Intelligence. ResearchGate; Annual Reviews. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5907081_Human_Abilities_Emotional_Intelligence
- Mayo Clinic. (2022, October 21). Lupus - Diagnosis and Treatment - Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic; Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20365790
- Purc-Stephenson, R. J., & Edwards, R. (2024). Finding meaning in chronic illness and its relationship to psychological well-being: A mixed-methods study. PLOS Mental Health, 1(4), e0000121. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000121
- Seppala, E. (2014, May 9). The Scientific Benefits of Self-Compassion. The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. https://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/the-scientific-benefits-of-self-compassion-infographic/
- Telford, K., Kralik, D., & Koch, T. (2006). Acceptance and denial: implications for people adapting to chronic illness: literature review. Journal of advanced nursing, 55(4), 457-464.
- Ye, Z. J. (2022). Editorial: Resilience in Chronic Disease. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.846370
Authored by:
Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP
This blog post and the lupus resources found on the National Resource Center on Lupus are, in part, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Cooperative Agreement Number NU58 DP006139. The contents are solely the responsibility of the developers. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
This blog post is for educational and information purposes only. Consult with your doctor/health care team for medical advice.