Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges.
In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines.
Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.
Food for thought: "I never write to disappear and escape. The truth is exactly the opposite. Most people strike me as escaping and disappearing in one way or another - into their jobs, their daily routines, their delusions about ...
Something inspirational: “Anyone can learn to fight. Hardly anyone learns to think.” TAMSYN MUIR, Gideon the Ninth Muir's quote reminds us that fighting is not just about physical strength; it can mean arguing, resisting ...
Food for thought: “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you.” OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, Parable of the Sower This quote reminds us that everything we do has an impact, and every experience changes ...
Boy, isn't that the truth. It has taken me far too long to realise this, but at least I still have time left to change things.
I seriously regret wasting so much time in my life doing what I like to call the 'backstroke in the pity pot,' but I felt like I was powerless to change things. Nobody ever explained to me that I could change things for the better if I wanted to.
I grew up with 'forced helplessness' that was brainwashed into me, so I always believed it wasn't possible. 'Misery is optional' as they like to say in AA, so I shall choose to start enjoying my life more.
Thanks Randy. Yes, unless we consciously think about things, we don't make any connections.
I failed to make my own connections, until my own lightbulb moment in my thirties and then everything started connecting. We may still be helpless to change certain aspects of our life.
It's not that we're not looking to change, but it depends on our circumstances, particularly when it comes to family and relationships.
Hard hitting but very true. It's a fact that life continues whether we embrace it and all its challenges, or whether we tread water feeling sorry for ourselves.
Thanks Tim. Yes, I think you're right. The tragedy is that once we're in its grip it's hard to get out of its clutches.
It's like quick sand. It sucks you in until you can't function. The irony is that even through my dark days I was determined not to drown in it.
I remember a family member telling me that my cerebral palsy had saved me. It wasn't cerebral palsy, it was being able to bring understanding on my experiences and not choosing to own them.
Boy, isn't that the truth. It has taken me far too long to realise this, but at least I still have time left to change things.
I seriously regret wasting so much time in my life doing what I like to call the 'backstroke in the pity pot,' but I felt like I was powerless to change things. Nobody ever explained to me that I could change things for the better if I wanted to.
I grew up with 'forced helplessness' that was brainwashed into me, so I always believed it wasn't possible. 'Misery is optional' as they like to say in AA, so I shall choose to start enjoying my life more.
Thanks Randy. Yes, unless we consciously think about things, we don't make any connections.
I failed to make my own connections, until my own lightbulb moment in my thirties and then everything started connecting. We may still be helpless to change certain aspects of our life.
It's not that we're not looking to change, but it depends on our circumstances, particularly when it comes to family and relationships.
Hard hitting but very true. It's a fact that life continues whether we embrace it and all its challenges, or whether we tread water feeling sorry for ourselves.
Thanks. Yes, most of us will tread water rather than face any challenges we have to meet. In the short term that may work.
I personally have always chosen to meet my challenges head on. Feeling sorry for ourselves, doesn't help us move on with our lives.
Some people find misery too pleasing to dessert but I'm not one of them, although I've been in its grip from time to time.
I know now that life is too short to be unhappy.
Thanks Tim. Yes, I think you're right. The tragedy is that once we're in its grip it's hard to get out of its clutches.
It's like quick sand. It sucks you in until you can't function. The irony is that even through my dark days I was determined not to drown in it.
I remember a family member telling me that my cerebral palsy had saved me. It wasn't cerebral palsy, it was being able to bring understanding on my experiences and not choosing to own them.