I have been dealing with this struggle for over 10 years and time is of the essence. I now have a support system that I can count on and most importantly, I have me back. Throughout everything- the flare-ups, the pain and the medication- that is what will carry you along. Try joining a support group at your local arthritis foundation. Participant in online communities (like this one ). Join a warm water therapy class. Do the things you love to do when you can do them. When you can't, try to be okay with that. We have limitations from our illness but they are nothing compared to the limitations we put on ourselves. Share your pain and your fears, and then go on. We have to go on. Talk to your friends, live your life and allow yourself to be you. You may feel like you have no control of your body but you have the power of thought, the power of hope and the power of choice. It's not always easy to see that in the beginning of living with RA, but it is possible.

Related Information: 

Living and Coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Visit our partner site, ChronicPainConnection, for more information about chronic pain conditions.  

Learn more about treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis, including drugs information, diet and exercise, and surgery.  

Read Cathee's recent blog about living with RA tens years after first being diagnosed.