It’s not unusual for people suffering from a chronic disease to feel isolated, embarrassed, depressed, angry, anxious or in denial. If you’ve recently been diagnosed, you might feel like you need to grieve your previous lifestyle before adjusting to a new life.
A chronic disease is a long-lasting condition that can be controlled but not cured. It often progresses slowly, and sometimes isn’t noticed until symptoms appear or there are abnormal test results. Examples include conditions like:
Even though a number of chronic conditions may seem as if they have nothing in common, the truth is that many carry the same symptoms. Pain, anxiety, fatigue, physical limitations, shortness of breath and poor sleep are all barriers that can be overcome with time.
The best way to do this is to take action. By empowering yourself to cope with your condition, you can learn skills to help you adjust to a new
lifestyle. Start by following these seven steps.
Stay Connected
One of the easiest things to do is to pull away from friends and family. But
communicating honestly is an important part of helping your loved ones understand what you need to cope and how they can be supportive.
Make Smart Decisions
You make a lot of choices already—from treatments to medications to which doctor to see. This doesn’t even include everyday decisions like attending a family reunion or joining a new gym. When you have a chronic condition, it’s easy to start feeling decision fatigue. If you’re having trouble making decisions, making a list of pros and cons for each decision can be helpful for organizing your thoughts.
Set Realistic Goals
Whether it’s to lose 10 pounds or to be able to walk down five flights of stairs to get the mail on your own, everyone has something they want to achieve. Be as specific as possible about your goal and how you’re going to achieve it. Having a plan of action holds you accountable and allows you to track your progress. This will help you stick with your goal.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Having a chronic disease may mean that you need to modify your physical activity level and your diet. Some chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes, can be triggered by weight gain or an increase of fatty foods, sugar and salt. Being underweight can increase the risk for osteoporosis and weaken the immune system. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and before you start a new physical activity, diet or vitamin supplement. You might even want to start a daily exercise log or food diary. There are also many easy ways you can fit exercise into your life.
Manage Your Medication
Over half of all medications are not taken as prescribed. If you have trouble remembering to take yours, set an alarm, ask someone to remind you or put the medication or a note next to something that is routine for you. Keep a list of all medications (prescribed and over-the-counter) and dosages and review it with your doctor yearly. Learn more about how to manage your medications properly.
Relax
Your body heals as you rest. You also make better decisions about your health when you have a mind free of anxiety and worry. Try techniques that reduce stress and quiet your mind like going for a walk, reading a book, listening to classical music, meditating or spending time with a friend.
Get Educated
You can only manage your disease as well as you know it. It’s important to learn as much as you can about your condition. Your doctor is a great referral source to programs such as chronic disease self-management classes, support groups, literature, nutritionists, disease-specific rehab centers and more.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important not to delay care. Find out what University of Maryland Medical System facilities are doing to keep you safe and how you can see a doctor virtually if you choose.
