There is rarely a way to completely 'beat' a chronic illness in its entirety.
Sometimes, focusing on a cure, focusing on complete remission, and only striving for those results could have you feeling down and defeated more often than necessary.
Here is the complicated reality of chronic illness. There is no clear cause or set of causes. There is no universal or clear-cut cure (and claims made that there is a cure are misguided and do not understand that the presentation of the illness in every single person is different). There is also no universal treatment that works for everyone. That's why there are so many different types of treatments that battle auto-immunity or inflammation from different directions.
I know that for me, if I was solely focused on achieving remission or being cured, then I would be even more stressed, I would be upset and likely deal with more bouts of depression, and I would feel even more defeated.
For me - I am not looking to 'beat' chronic illness. I can't BEAT Crohn's Disease or Ankylosing Spondylitis. I can't WIN the fight against Hashimoto's or Hereditary Angioedema. I have to learn to accept these complications as parts of me. I have to adapt to the needs of my body - no matter how painful and how restricting these needs may be.
What I CAN do is focus on the smaller battles.
I CAN win the fight against inflammation in smaller intervals.
If I can manage to go for a bike ride then I have won.
If I can manage to get through an entire vocal performance without vomiting then I have won.
If I can do a flight of stairs without ending up with tremors then I have won.
Yesterday, when I got back home from a road trip to my parents' place, I actually managed to have the energy to unpack that night. That was a win for me! Usually after a weekend where I am from, my suitcase will sit in the living room for up to three or four days before I finally have the energy to unpack. So that was a huge win for me!
If I have the energy to cook a really great meal AND if I am hungry enough to enjoy it, then that is a win.
In my experience, focusing on the smaller battles helps me be happier. If I were to step back and see the entire picture - if I look at my life on a broader spectrum and see all of the activities that I've lost and see how much more fighting I will have to do, if I see how many years I have spent battling these diseases as a whole, then the future seems very daunting.
I would love for there to be a cure!!!
Realistically, it may never happen in my lifetime. So instead of constantly expecting a cure and, inevitably, being disappointed, I will continue to work towards the goal but on a smaller scale.
Day by day.