Living with changes in your heart condition
Hearing news that the changes in your health won’t get better, or that no further inventions can be made, is really tough. Even if this was something you might have expected, this news can still come as a shock. It raises questions about what these changes mean for your future. Taking in this news may take time, so it can be important to try to be gentle with yourself.
Coming to terms with change and the associated loss involves a grieving process. Many feelings can come and go across time, such as sadness, fearfulness, anger and frustration.
As well as the emotional impact, there are also the effects on your life in a wider sense. Possible loss of work, impact on finances, possible restrictions on physical activity and managing uncomfortable bodily sensations.
The challenge is learning how to live differently with what’s happening, to live your life as best you can, including the symptoms and effects of your condition.
Remember that people do find ways to embrace these challenges and carry on living rewarding and satisfying lives.
In her article Dealing with Deterioration in Health, Sarah Barker, one of our volunteers, offers her thoughts about ways of coping with the emotional impact of when things don’t get better.
Finding ways to adapt to changes such as, not being able to carry out every day activities as easily as before, manage increased physical symptoms, emotional distress or adjustment to the possibility of needing more care and support, can be really hard. Facing the Future is an article written by some of our member’s on their experience of getting older and adapting to these challenges.
Living with the Enemy: Coping with the stress of chronic illness using CBT, mindfulness and acceptance by Ray Owen is a thought provoking and practical book that looks at finding ways to deal with the emotional impact of living with a long term physical health condition.