How to Cope with a Scary Medical or Mental Health Diagnosis

Most of us are sanguine about the fact that some things are out of our control. We know, for example, that we can’t avoid death or taxes or do much about how tall we’ll grow. For much of everything else, we figure out a way to deal with what happens in life — until we can’t, for one reason or another. A prime example is the emotional upheaval caused by receiving an unexpected and scary medical or mental health diagnosis. Having gone through this myself recently, here are some ways to help you cope. Get all the facts. After the initial shock, take a few deep breaths and resolve to learn as much as you can about the condition, issue or disorder you’ve just been diagnosed with. Ask about available evidence-based treatments, success rates for cure/remission, resources you can check to gain a better understanding of the scope of the problem, how long treatment or procedure may take, recovery time, alternative treatment methods, whether a change in behavior or lifestyle will help speed healing and whatever else comes to mind. Since you need time to absorb the fact that you’ve just been diagnosed with something like skin cancer or atrial fibrillation (both of which, by the way, I found out I had), give yourself time to come up with other specific questions you want your healthcare provider or doctor to answer. Keep careful notes of everything the doctor tells you and get copies of all test results, scans and X-rays, physician’s notes, medications prescribed, and so...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Grief and Loss Health-related Inspiration & Hope Motivation and Inspiration Cancer Chronic Illness Coping Skills health scare Medical Care Mental Illness Resilience Source Type: blogs