Lupus presents unique challenges across different healthcare systems, with financial barriers in Nigeria contrasting sharply with workplace stigma issues in the UK. This powerful conversation reveals the physical, emotional and social impacts of living with an invisible illness.

• Lupus mimics other conditions with symptoms including sunlight sensitivity, joint pain, hair loss and the characteristic butterfly rash
• Different types of lupus exist, including discoid lupus, systemic lupus, and forms affecting children
• Diagnosis in Nigeria can cost upwards of 400,000 naira with severe shortage of rheumatologists
• Workplace accommodations in the UK like hybrid working and flexible schedules can make significant difference
• Invisible nature of lupus leads to harmful misconceptions with people often hearing "you don't look sick"
• Cultural and religious attitudes create additional barriers to seeking proper treatment
• Family support plays crucial role in managing lupus, with relatives' understanding significantly impacting wellbeing
• Finding joy through activities like dancing, photography, and laughter helps with mental resilience
• Mindset and acceptance of the condition allows adaptation and finding new ways to contribute despite limitations

If you're struggling with lupus or another chronic condition, connect with support communities like Mebuvi Lupus Foundation in Nigeria or Lupus UK. Visit www.asebconsultancy.com for mental health support or to book a free 15-minute consultation.

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Have you ever felt stuck in a seemingly endless waiting period? That uncomfortable space between what is and what could be can feel excruciating—whether you're waiting for medical results, career advancement, relationship milestones, or financial breakthroughs.

This deeply reflective episode explores the psychological and emotional impacts of life's waiting seasons and offers profound insights on transforming these periods from mere endurance tests into opportunities for authentic growth. I share my personal experiences with immigration documentation challenges and health scares, revealing how these waiting seasons initially triggered anxiety but ultimately became catalysts for developing emotional resilience.

When we face uncertainty, our bodies enter chronic stress states that can manifest as anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and even physical pain. Many of us instinctively fight against these waiting periods, suppressing emotions or pretending everything is fine. Yet this resistance often prolongs suffering. The key isn't resistance but acceptance—not of the undesirable situation, but acknowledgment of where you are while actively seeking solutions.

Waiting seasons serve as powerful revelators, stripping away pretences and showing who truly stands with you when you have little to offer. They function as personal SWOT analyses, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in both your character and relationships. I offer practical tools for thriving through uncertainty: managing emotions through journaling and mantras, celebrating others' milestones rather than withdrawing from them, speaking openly about your situation, practicing gratitude, and surrounding yourself with uplifting people.

Ready to transform your perspective on life's waiting periods? Subscribe, share, and visit www.asebconsultancy.com to book a free consultation if you're struggling with your current season of waiting. Remember—you're not just waiting for change to happen to you; you're being changed through the waiting.

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What happens when your own body becomes your enemy? In this powerful conversation, therapist and PhD researcher IJ Asike shares her extraordinary journey living with lupus - an autoimmune disease where the body's defense systems attack its own tissues and organs.

From unexplained childhood illnesses to finally receiving a diagnosis at age 26, IJ reveals the physical and emotional toll of navigating a condition that can affect everything from her joints to her kidneys, creating unpredictable limitations that transform daily life. "Sometimes I wake up feeling fine, but by 10am, I'm at 15% battery," she explains.

Beyond the medical aspects, IJ offers profound wisdom about the psychological and spiritual dimensions of chronic illness. She shares her process of pain, acceptance, adaptation, and growth - challenging common misconceptions about what acceptance means. "Acceptance isn't giving up faith," she insists. "It's a point you arrive at that allows you to adapt and see new possibilities." This perspective transformed her experience from one where "life stopped" to discovering unexpected purpose through her condition.

The conversation explores how faith, medical support, family connections, and finding meaning beyond illness create the foundation for flourishing despite physical limitations. IJ's research examines the crucial question: what factors determine whether someone with chronic illness merely survives or genuinely thrives?

For anyone navigating chronic illness, supporting a loved one with health challenges, or simply seeking inspiration for life's unexpected difficulties, IJ's story demonstrates how adversity can become a pathway to deeper authenticity. As she poignantly puts it: "My healing is not the absence of lupus - my healing is having the support I need to live meaningfully with it."

Join us for this transformative discussion about finding strength, purpose and authentic living when life doesn't follow your original plan. Share your own experiences or questions in the comments!

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