"it could be worse" mentality anyone?

I'm not sure if this is healthy or even selfish, but sometimes when I am feeling sorry for myself I think "it could be worse" and compare myself to other possibilities to try and think positive and not take things for granted. For example, I could have no legs, be blind, completely paralyzed, etc.
Can anyone else relate?

Right or wrong, that's how I have and do cope a lot of times. I am privileged to talk with some people that are critically ill with these infections and it really helps me to see that although it's been a really long road for me, and some periods of time are really scary, I've only been critically ill a few times in my life.

Thinking, wishing I could be of some help (mainly as another source for support) I do stay in contact with those that wish to stay in contact with me during these times of their lives. Some days, like today, I thank my lucky stars that I have only had to deal with those things I've gone through and am not in someone else's shoes.

I honestly don't see how that line of thinking is selfish, it's as Summer said, it's a coping mechanism is all.

... but for the grace of God go I........

Yes I think about that a lot, and I would ask God to why don't you either cure me or take me, because this is BS! I get so mad sometimes!

I also don't like to let my mind wander too much to those other diseases because I have always been a hypochondriac and I will drive everyone around me nuts worrying about symptoms.

When I first had lyme symptoms I thought it was due to my anxiety and hypochondria, I actually was on a health anxiety forum, then I realized this isn't' going away and this time I actually was ill. I spent the first few weeks of this illness doping myself on Ativan because I was so terrified.

I think lyme has helped me conquer some of my health fears actually.

yep... i do it every day. The only problem is that i think it could be better like it was before. Today I'm here checking how much it will cost me to walk around with a picc line in my arm to "try" to kill this monster, but exactly a year ago I was walking in the streets of Germany having the best times of my life. So yes it could be worse but i wish it could just be normal like it was before. I guess what gets me more frustrated is that my body didn't do it to me but a dirty useless tick.....

Post Edited (robby vieira) : 9/4/2016 9:22:00 PM (GMT-6)

This hard for me to do since I'm not sure if I have Lyme yet. Unfortunately, my mind tends to do the opposite and thinks "What if it's X disease or Y syndrome?". At this point, it's very hard for me to see the bright side of things.

Very inspirational talk! Everyone should watch this video!!!!

I know on an intellectual level it could be worse, but everyone's degree of coping is different, and really that's what it boils down to. The guy that lives up the road from me has both his legs amputated at his thighs. Seeing him always gives me something to think about, in comparison to my situation.

Just about everyone here has suffered through the worst pain imaginable. Makes childbirth look like a breeze and at least that has a definite end in sight. On top of the pain is your body weakness, terrible ill feeling,fevers maybe and then there's the stroll into mild dementia. All with one disease. Some can't hardly get enough oxygen.

Feeling on the brink of death is scary and across the board something we have in common with the worst diseases, so what we are left with is at the moment we ARE still alive, we Do have some hope of getting better, so in that sense we are definitely better off than so many others.
Oh, and the fact that this is something that we can be proactive with, and I have found that being able to take even a little control over trying to get better is a huge help over being helplessly dependent on impersonal others.

yes same feeling