Building Resilience and Healing with Community

I have been living with a chronic illness since I was a teenager, thirty plus years. Dealing with the unpredictability and ups and downs of my condition has often felt deeply isolating and challenging. It has been hard not to dwell in a place of grief and alienation, feeling like my peers did not really understand my life experience, especially when I was younger. I coped the best as I could but it felt like my identity was very wrapped up in my illness and patient-hood.

Now, in my late 40’s, I am beginning to shift my sense of self in a new direction. I came to re-origin by luck and for the first time in ages, I am beginning to see myself as having the potential to thrive.

From Isolation to Connection: Finding My Community

I believe that the thing that has made the biggest difference for me is the feeling that I am finally part of a community of people who share something of my experience. Members of the re-origin community come to the program with a wide range of conditions and life experiences. What we share is that we are all seeking a new way of approaching our lives, one focused on building resilience and empowerment.

Scientific research has demonstrated that people with a wide range of health conditions find healing when they join in uplifting communities with others. Prior to joining re-origin I participated in several support groups that catered to people with my same diagnosis. People spoke candidly and in depth about their symptoms and what it was like to live with our condition. This made me feel less alone for certain, but it could also feel depressing and they increased the sense that my illness defined me. 

Building Resilience and Finding Joy Together

My participation in the re-origin community has changed me. The online community and Momentum Group Coaching are based on positive psychology and the science of neuroplasticity. This program embodies the idea that community and skilled coaching can build resilience, decrease isolation and empower members with chronic health conditions to take steps that lead to healing. 

re-origin Momentum Groups are led by a set of expert coaches who understand the power each of us have to re-train our brains to feel safe even in the face of uncomfortable sensations. Members come together once a week to learn a set of science-backed tools and strategies that lead them onto a path towards greater well-being. Unlike many other support groups for individuals with chronic illness, members in Momentum Groups do not spend time discussing their diagnoses or sensations. Members come into the groups with a wide range of conditions, but we choose to focus our attention on what is working well rather than what is “wrong” and by doing so we shift our attention towards joy. 

I have now completed four 12-week Momentum Groups and each time I learn something new and forge new friendships and uplifting connections. There is something incredibly powerful about learning and growing alongside others. My favorite part of the groups is how we begin by celebrating people’s wins, both big and small. The joy of watching others make progress strengthens me. I was surprised at how easy it was to celebrate other people’s successes because I am a highly competitive person and I have an unhealthy tendency to compare myself to others. But the coaches all have such a graceful way of acknowledging that everyone’s healing path is different.

We are all starting with a different set of diagnoses and life experiences. Some people in the program, like myself, found re-origin only after being sick for many years, and some have just  started to have health challenges recently. Cheering on others and simultaneously feeling people root for me for my wins elevates my spirits and keeps me motivated. 

Healing Through Positive Psychology and Neuroplasticity

When I first began to participate in re-origin, I will admit, I was highly skeptical of what it had to offer. I was wary of the potential for messages about neuroplasticity, and the power people have to alter their brain circuitry to feel like blame. If I could change my brain, then would my illness be seen my “fault” to begin with?  What I found in the program was dramatically different. For the first time in my life since I was diagnosed, I began to feel actually good. My symptoms haven’t left me but I feel a new sense of freedom to not let them rule my life. My skepticism and wariness hasn’t completely left me, but I can’t state enough what it has meant to me to feel lifted up by a community of people who want me to reach a place of wellness. That wellness doesn’t mean some kind of “cure,” but rather a sense of healthy flourishing. 

Redefining Myself: Thriving Beyond Illness

Beginning to think about my life in terms of my wins has been profound. I find myself now having moments throughout my days, regardless of how I am feeling physically, of newfound joy and pleasure. While my illness is still a big part of my life, I feel less like it is my identity. Instead, I define myself through my resilience and strength, my ability to acknowledge sensations but not let them be who I am at my core. I owe much of this to the re-origin community, a place where I feel seen and supported by a group of people striving towards living their best lives.