Meaning
Experience shows that those who find meaning in life despite illness and pain are better at coping with illness and pain than those who get lost in meaninglessness and hopelessness.
But how do you find meaning in illness and pain?
Some people find meaning in retrospect when they look back on past pain and illness. It does not have to be an abstract meaning you search for, but one that is concrete and can be lived out in real life. Finding meaning in illness and pain is something the individual has to fight for, and it is often not an easy task or something everybody can just do. It is something you have to learn because of life circumstances. It is about finding meaning in life despite illness and pain.
Most of us usually have a spontaneous experience that the world makes sense, and this is also a necessity to make everyday life run smoothly. But when we encounter unforeseen events that shake our belief in this, we are confronted with the realization that it may only be an illusion that things make sense. This could be if we experience the death of someone, violence or other crimes, or chronic debilitating illness and pain.
This can trigger what is known as an "existential crisis", which is characterized by a period of difficulty finding meaning in life.
