Positivity and Psoriatic Arthritis

By Vickie Wilkerson

3 min read

Can you maintain a positive attitude while also living with psoriatic arthritis? That is a good question. We all can admit that having psoriatic arthritis can certainly make life harder.

It is an unrelenting attack on the body that makes even the strongest-willed person bend or feel like they are breaking. I am no exception to that rule.

Fighting the good fight

However, for as strong as that fight is, there are days that it takes everything in me to fight the good fight. On those days it would be easy to crumble in a pile of twisted, hurting body parts.

I guess you can say it is fear that keeps me from doing that. Fear that if I give in to those feelings I will never get up again or find a reason to enjoy life.

The resiliency journey

I would be totally wrong if I tried to tell you there will not be trying days or even trying years for that matter. Given all that 2020 brought to our lives - including the difficulties of this past year, just facing every day has been hard.

When, in my case, you add knee surgeries on top of PsA - well, it's the makings of the perfect storm that could even make a saint lose religion in a hurry. However, I am proof positive that if you keep holding to some form of positive thinking you can weather that storm.

It doesn’t have to be oozing over like water running over the rim of a cup. Even if it is a single thought in a day of something positive then you have the making of being your own version of proof positive.

Positivity starts with you

On days that it feels like psoriatic arthritis is really weighing me down, I start with listing the positive things in my life. For example, I am positive that my grandchildren love me. I am positive that if I only accomplish one thing in a given day, then I have done something.

It doesn’t have to be on a large scale. If one thing is all you can accomplish in a day then look at that one thing as positive. I can tell you that, although your family might not understand it, they are not the ones who feel the pain we live with. Sometimes you have to go with the little things.

Enjoying the good days as they come

Life with psoriatic arthritis does have some good days. For whatever the reason may be, there are days when either a new medication is working or there is just less pain than normal, we'll take it.

I look back on those days with positivity to know that there are days when I can eventually accomplish more. It helps me to know that although I might have a flare, it will not last for the rest of my life. The day will come or treatment will come that will help me to have those good days.

Always be kind to yourself

My hope for you is that you find ways that uplift you and bring you some positivity. Flares will come. Bad days will too. As a lyric in a song goes “To everything (turn, turn, turn)” turn that negative into a positive.

A flare becomes a time for you to turn it into being kinder to yourself. Bad days become a time for you to reflect on any good memories. It is only in doing these things that make living with psoriatic arthritis a more positive situation. I hope it can do the same for you!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Psoriatic-Arthritis.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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fearlesswarrior Member
I love this! My therapist always tells me to give myself grace, the same way I would a loved one. Give myself grace and try to find the good in every day. We've been working on my mindset since I was diagnosed with PSA and she's helped a great deal!
1. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 That is some excellent advice, <inline-mention username="fearlesswarrior" user-id="4255700"/>. It sounds like you have found a wonderful therapist. Thanks for chiming in. Wishing you the very best! - Lori (Team Member) 
2. Leanne Donaldson Moderator & Contributor
 I love that you use the word "grace," <inline-mention username="fearlesswarrior" user-id="4255700"/>. I try to remind myself of this daily as well. Some days I'm better at it than others, but each day is a new day to try again. 😉 We do tend to always be better about allowing others grace, more so than ourselves- don't you think? Working with a good therapist seems to be really helpful for many trying to manage the emotional and mental burden of PsA. If you found a good one- hand on tightly! Sending gentle hugs to you today and a reminder to be kind to yourself. -Leanne (Team Member)
Mary Lynn Member
 Two great words in this article and comments - resiliency and grace! Prior to my PsA life, I tended to worry. Like a lot. And my emotions were big. I never had a pity party, it was a pity gala 😀 Emotional abundance runs in my family 😀 A positive of my illness is that I have learned to tame my big feelings. I found that I didn't have the energy big emotions required. And over time I learned that there were healthier ways to manage my feelings - finding support, journaling, etc. Applying grace liberally to myself has helped tremendously and I found that I am more resilient than I ever could have imagined. I still have tough days and I allow myself that. I just try not to stay there too long. 
1. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 What a great approach, <inline-mention username="Mary Lynn" user-id="4513411"/>. I am glad you figured out how to achieve that balance. Thanks for sharing what has helped you. Sending the very best of all wishes and a whole bunch of zen your way. - Lori (Team Member)