There’s nothing quite like being diagnosed with a serious illness or disease. It’s a situation nightmares are made of. Even if you suspected that something was wrong, this information completely knocks you for six, taking over your entire life in one terrifying and paralyzing moment. It may feel as though time has stopped, but you do need to find a way carry on. To help you cope with this scary news and bring balance back into your life, here are six things that you can do:
Allow Yourself To Feel:
Maintaining a positive attitude can help you to make better choices and improve your quality of life. However, if you’re not feeling particularly positive, you shouldn’t have to fake it. Many people diagnosed with serious illnesses choose to put on a brave face so as to not worry their loved ones. Unfortunately, this can be incredibly overwhelming. It’s much healthier to let yourself feel and not be ashamed of it.
Use The Web Wisely:
Certain conditions most of us already know quite a bit about, but, when you’re diagnosed with something you’ve never heard of, one of the first places you might turn is the internet. Just make sure you use it wisely. As useful of a tool as the web can be, it also contains some wildly inaccurate information. It’s much more sensible to talk to trusted health professionals, instead.
Avoid The What Ifs:
When we receive a serious diagnosis, our minds instantly jump to the worst case scenario. You should avoid doing the same. As beneficial as some services from hospices may be, you’re not at the point that you need them yet, and actually may never be. You might think that you’re preparing for the future, but all you’re really doing is causing yourself unnecessary stress.
Choose Whom To Tell:
The support of your family and friends is crucial in times like this, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should tell everyone you know right away. A loved one who is going to cry or offer unhelpful advice every time you see them is someone you may want to keep this information from, at least until you’ve wrapped your head around it. Only talk to those who will help you.
Find Those Who Understand:
No one can ever truly understand what you’re going through, but there are plenty of people that can take a good guess. You’re not the only person in the world to be diagnosed with your illness, so, instead of battling it alone, you could consider talking to those who are going through the same thing or have in the past. You can often find these people through support groups and they are sure to offer great advice. For example, someone might have benefited from a medicare patient advocate that helped with billing assistance or another member of the group could have recommendations to soothe symptoms. You are all in it together and a sense of community can be uplifting.
Stick To Your Routine:
Certain illnesses will require treatments that take up large portions of your day. However, when possible, you should try to stick to your usual routine. Some days you will want to lay in bed and ignore the world, and that is okay, but you can’t let this be your life. If you do, your diagnosis will define you. You may choose to cut back on certain things, but many elements can stay the same.
Hearing a scary diagnosis will never be easy, but, hopefully, with these tips, you can cope better through the next few days and weeks.
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