Coping with Change

Hi Alison

Using the filling of the ESA50 is a good example - because you have said that it has massively disrupted your routine. Can you think of any other times when your routine has been disrupted. You don't have to use a single example, you could mention several things - eg sudden hospital appointment, an appointment that takes longer than you're expecting, expecting to go to a particular building and finding that it has changed, a journey being changed, post not arriving, unexpected phone calls. forgetting to buy something for a meal, internet access being cut, sudden unexpected attack of exhaustion, unexpected pain attack, unexpected balance issues leaving you feeling unsafe etc etc.

You don't have to use any examples I have given - these just popped out of my head. You know what's important about your routine and you know how it leaves you feeling mentally and physically if you're thrown off. Don't worry about trying to get the perfect answer. It is always challenging to get someone else to understand and you can only give it your best shot. Our experiences are unique and all you can do is describe in your own words why change is difficult for you. You can even say what you have here, which, due to your CFS and anxiety, your brain feels scrambled, and it is hard to describe just how exhausting, painful and scary it is to manage change and deal with the impact of change on you both mentally and physically.

BIS