{Contributor Post}
No matter what point in life that you are diagnosed with a chronic illness, it is always going to be a highly stressful and difficult experience to go through. Once you have recovered from the initial sense of shock that you inevitably feel, it’s important to start considering how you are going to cope on a day to day basis.
Of course, everyone suffers from stress from time to time, but when you are battling an illness at the same time, the effects tend to be magnified and you find yourself in an especially difficult situation. You may have to deal with pain and other negative effects of the illness. You might find yourself having to adjust to new limitations in your life which didn’t exist before. There could be financial pressures which build up. All of this on top of the frustration and isolation which inevitably come along with your diagnosis.
However, there are some steps that you can take to improve your quality of life and reduce the challenges of coping with a long-term illness. It is these strategies that will help you gain a sense of control which we are going to discuss in this article. So, let’s look closer at the coping strategies which you can use when dealing with your illness.
Do Your Research! Understand Your Condition in More Detail
When you are trying to live with a long-term condition, it can help you out a great deal to understand everything you can about it. There is so much information which is readily available online to give you more information about symptom management and the different treatment options that you have available to you. However, you should be wary of which sources you are using, ensuring that the advice you are reading is accurate and trustworthy. You may also be able to find details about different medication out there such as Abacavir if you are suffering from HIV or AIDS. Knowing the different options which are out there and available to you can help to give you a major helping hand.
As well as your own independent research, you can also question your doctor about your condition. Don’t be afraid to question the reasons why they are recommending a particular course of action. Of course, there are also times when you will want to defer to their expertise. It always helps to get a second opinion to make sure that you are fully satisfied with the course of action which is being taken.
You should also get into the habit of observing your own body as well. Focus closely on how the different treatment options affect you. Some things may ease your symptoms, while others may appear to make them worse. It helps to use a notebook or a calendar to jot everything down. You can then share this information with your physician. When you feel like you are playing an active role in your treatment, this can make a big difference when it comes to reducing the feelings of stress which you are experiencing.
Learn to Be a Self-Manager
Rather than relying on somebody else, if you are in a well enough condition, becoming your own health manager can help to give you back a sense of control, as well as improving your overall quality of life. Once you have a treatment plan in place, you should be the one who is in charge of making sure that you follow it closely to keep your symptoms and stress under control. Generally, the constituent parts of your health plan involve taking prescribed medication at the correct time and attending all scheduled appointments. Again, this is where having a diary or planner of some kind can give you a major helping hand.
As well as the medical advice that you need to follow, there are other positive decisions that you can make to help deal with the stress that you are experiencing. For example, eating nutritious food and getting plenty of exercise can help to boost your mood, increase your mobility and hopefully, alleviate some of your symptoms. Making sure that you go to bed at a reasonable hour and get enough sleep can also make a big difference. Beyond this, you should also try to avoid potentially harmful substances such as heavily processed food and alcohol.
Cope With Your Emotions
Now, we come onto coping with the emotional side of your illness. When you are diagnosed with a chronic condition, this can end up disrupting your life and plans in a big way. Something which causes such as big upheaval can lead to a wide range of emotional responses – everything from stress, grief and rage to fear, depression and anxiety.
There are a range of different techniques out there that you can use to battle stress and challenging emotions. Ultimately, you should experiment with as many of them as you can until you find what works for you. Some people find comfort in calming activities like meditation. Others prefer listening to music or writing in a journal. And many people seek solace by spending regular time with their friends and family. If you have a calendar, you can incorporate these activities into your daily or weekly routine.
Manage Your Relationships
Next, let’s take a closer look at managing the various relationships in your life, which is another important aspect of coping with a chronic illness. Unfortunately, one of the common side effects of dealing with any kind of condition is that you have less energy and time on your hands to socialise with those closest to you. You may find that it is difficult to express to your friends and family members what sort of difficulties you are going through. Equally, they may not be able to fully appreciate them.
We have mentioned it a couple of times already, but it all comes back to making sure that you stay on top of your time. This way, you will be able to choose where to focus your time and energy in a way that is going to allow you to live the best quality of life. Try to put your focus on the relationships which are of the most importance to you. If there are people who only add stress to your life, you should try to make the decision to spend less time with them or even cut them out from your life entirely.
Improve Your Adaptability
The attitude and individual approach that you take to life can make such a big difference to the levels of stress that you experience. Rather than battling against the lifestyle adjustments that your condition requires you to make, you should try to get into a healthy acceptance of the things that you can’t change, and influence the ones that you can. The earlier you make these concessions in your mind, the easier that it is going to be live within the restrictions that your condition sets out for you.
As your condition may change over time, you also need to develop a sense of adaptability as you have to make adjustments to your life depending on it. Take a problem-solving approach to life, and you will put yourself in a much better position when it comes to managing any challenges that come your way.
To Sum it All Up
There is no doubt that living with a chronic illness of any kind can be highly stressful. But rather than letting it get the better of you, it is important that you take the necessary steps to manage your condition and maintain the quality of life which you have become used to. To start off with, you should learn as much as you can about your condition from the articles that you read online and the information that you get directly from your doctor. This way, you can take a more active role in your treatment.
When you have a treatment plan in place, it is important that you follow it closely. If you are in a well enough condition, you should be the one who manages this. You should also take steps to ensure that you lead as healthy a life as you can. Part of this good-quality lifestyle involves making time for the activities and hobbies which make you happy, as well as maintaining relationships with those who are closest to you. Your support circle are so important in maintaining your mood and sense of well-being. As much as possible, you should avoid the people and things which only serve to add stress to your life.
Finally, you need to approach life with the right mindset. It is very easy to get swallowed up by a sense of negativity, but this can end up being toxic and highly damaging. Adaptability is one of the traits which can help you out a great deal as you try to cope with all the challenges which you have in front of you.
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