There Is Always Hope
4 Ways to Stay Encouraged in Chronic Illness
If you or someone you love has been living with chronic illness, you already know how hard it can be—not just physically, but emotionally. When your symptoms don’t make sense, the treatments don’t work and the people around you don’t understand, it can start to feel like a lonely uphill battle. You try new supplements, diets, doctors and protocols with a flicker of hope—only to feel crushed again when nothing changes.
It’s exhausting.
But in the midst of it all, I want to share something that has transformed the way I approach both my own health, my family’s health and my patients’ health. It’s a key belief that has helped me keep moving forward, even in the midst of discouragement:
There is always hope.
A mentor of mine once said,
“I’d rather live a life filled with hope and occasional disappointment than a hopeless life.”
This quote has stayed with me for years. Because no matter how discouraged I’ve felt, I’ve always found it more life-giving to stay connected to hope—even when I didn’t know what the next step would be.
My Own Journey with Hope and Disappointment
I remember being a few years into my own journey with chronic invisible illness. As a doctor who’s always loved understanding the “why” behind things, I launched into deep research: Was it SIBO? A nutritional deficiency? Something autoimmune? I tried so many different approaches—from supplements and medications to restrictive diets and every test I could order for myself.
And while I gained some clarity along the way and saw small improvements, nothing brought the deep, lasting restoration I longed for.
Eventually, I hit a wall. I was tired of trying to fix myself. I was tired of being my own doctor.
That’s when I realised: I didn’t just need more answers—I needed hope. Something to hold onto that reminded me recovery was possible, even if I didn’t yet know how to get there.
Why Hope Matters in Chronic Illness Recovery
Hope isn’t optional—it’s foundational to long-term wellbeing. It’s a powerful psychological and physiological driver of healing. When we cultivate hope, we begin to shift out of chronic stress and dysregulation. Our nervous system starts to feel safer, which supports the body’s capacity to heal—especially in conditions like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), chronic fatigue syndrome or long COVID.
Hope believes that the future will be better than the present.
Hopeful people:
Set meaningful, achievable goals
Believe they have agency to influence outcomes
Stay engaged in the healing journey, even when it's hard
And there’s research to back this up.
What the Research Shows
A 2017 systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychology by Schiavon et al. examined the impact of hope and optimism on individuals living with chronic illness. The findings are compelling:
✅ Higher levels of hope and optimism are associated with better physical health
✅ Individuals with greater hope report lower pain perception
✅ Hope improves treatment adherence, especially in complex or long-term care plans
✅ Emotional resilience is significantly higher in hopeful patients, even when facing serious illness
The study concluded that hopeful and optimistic individuals are more likely to engage in behaviours that support healing and well-being, regardless of their current health situation.
These findings reinforce what many of us have experienced firsthand: hope changes how we think, how we act and how we heal.
So—what do you do when you inevitably face disappointment?
4 Ways to Stay Hopeful When You’re Disappointed
1. Don’t Let Your Circumstances Define Your Beliefs
Just because your symptoms haven’t improved yet doesn’t mean they won’t. Your current experience is not your final destination. Begin to separate what you believe about your body from what you’re feeling today.
“Just because I’m here now doesn’t mean I’ll stay here forever.”
2. Guard Your Heart and Your Inputs
The voices we listen to shape our internal world. If your practitioner doesn’t believe recovery is possible, it might be time to find one who does. Tune in to those who speak hope, possibility and wisdom.
That’s why I wrote Aligned for Healing—to help people like you build a belief system that supports the healing process from the inside out.
3. Seek Out Stories of Overcomers
Even if their journey looks different, stories of people who have overcome hard things fuel our own belief. Let their breakthroughs remind you that healing is possible.
Look to podcasts, books, online communities or personal stories that inspire and uplift.
4. Reframe Disappointment
Not everything you try will work. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve gathered information about what your body doesn’t need and where you may need to pivot.
“I’ve learned something that doesn’t work for me and now I’m one step closer to finding out what does.”
Your Story Isn’t Over Yet
Healing isn’t linear. Some days feel like breakthroughs; others feel like setbacks. That’s okay.
What matters is staying connected to the belief that healing is possible. Learning to rest and reframe—not quit—when it gets hard.
Because there is always hope.
And that hope can change everything.
If you’re looking for more support:
Aligned for Healing – a daily mindset guide to help you reframe your beliefs and create internal conditions for healing
Rise Gently – a 6-week course designed for those navigating POTS, chronic fatigue, and nervous system dysregulation
I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s walk this path together.
With hope,
Dr Michaelia
GP | Health Coach | Author of Aligned for Healing
drmichaelia.com
References:
1. Schiavon CC, Marchetti E, Gurgel LG, Busnello FM, Reppold CT. Optimism and hope in chronic disease: a systematic review. Front Psychol. 2016;7:2022. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.02022
