The Stresses of Chronic Disease

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KEY POINTS

• Chronic diseases such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and Parkinson’s disease may last for months, years, or a lifetime. A chronic disease can affect all aspects of your health. You may be in pain, feel very tired, lack energy, or have anxiety or depression. It’s normal to feel angry, frustrated, sad, and bitter.
• Work with your treatment team. They can help you deal with the physical and emotional effects of your illness, and of treatments. Talk with family and friends. Consider joining a support group in your area.
• Learn ways to manage stress, and try to keep a positive attitude. It helps to focus on what you enjoy rather than focusing on your illness.
• Seek help from a healthcare provider or therapist if you feel overwhelmed. Get emergency care if you have serious thoughts of suicide or self-harm, violence, or harming others.

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What is chronic disease?

A disease that is chronic never goes away completely but it can usually be managed. It may last for months, years, or a lifetime. Some examples include:

• AIDS
• Asthma
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Cancer
• Cerebral palsy
• Diabetes
• Heart failure
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease

What kinds of stress does it cause?

A chronic disease can affect all aspects of your health. You may be in pain, feel very tired, lack energy, or have anxiety or depression. Learning that you have a chronic disease may make you feel overwhelmed or confused. It’s normal to feel angry, frustrated, sad, irritable, and bitter. You may be embarrassed that you have a chronic illness and it may change the way you think about yourself.

Living with a chronic disease is not easy. Besides dealing with symptoms, it also involves keeping track of medicines, dealing with finances, seeing healthcare providers, and making lifestyle changes. Living with someone who has a chronic disease can be stressful for everyone in the household.

How can I take care of myself?

• Get support. It is important to work with your treatment team. They can help you deal with the physical and emotional effects of your illness and your treatments. Talk with family and friends. Consider joining a support group in your area. Sometimes it is helpful to talk with others who have similar struggles.

  If you feel sad, hopeless, and uninterested in daily life to the point that it keeps you from doing everyday activities, talk with your healthcare provider. Depression can be successfully treated with therapy, medicine, or both.

• Learn about your condition. Knowing how a condition affects your body helps you better understand how treatments, medicines and lifestyle changes can help you manage the condition and stay as healthy as possible. Know what symptoms need to be treated right away and what symptoms you should call your healthcare provider about. Be aware of signs that you're feeling stress, such as feeling anxious or having headaches, tiredness, diarrhea, aching muscles, or flare-ups of the disease.
• Check your medicines. To help prevent problems, tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all the medicines, natural remedies, vitamins, and other supplements that you take. Take all medicines as directed by your provider. Talk to your provider if you have problems taking your medicine or if the medicines don't seem to be working.
• Learn ways to manage stress.
  • Check your schedule and to-do list. What must be done? Are there things you can ask someone else to do? What tasks can be dropped? Don't try to do too much.
  • Set goals you can achieve. Break large tasks into smaller tasks. Plan to do them over several days. Don't put things off and then have to struggle to catch up.
  • Find ways to unwind: take up a hobby, listen to music, watch movies, read, or take walks.
  • Learn ways to relax, such as deep breathing, mental imaging, mindfulness, or relaxing muscle groups one at a time. Yoga and meditation may also be helpful.
• Take care of your physical health. Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Eat a healthy diet. Limit caffeine. If you smoke, quit. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Exercise according to your healthcare provider's instructions.
• Take care of your emotional health.
  • Develop a positive attitude. This does not mean denying that you have a chronic disease. It means taking control and managing your condition by taking your medicines and keeping your appointments. Try not to worry about things you cannot control. It also helps to focus on what you enjoy rather than focusing on your illness.
  • Continue to pursue your goals and desires.
  • Try to resolve conflict. Don't hold on to angry feelings.
  • Spend time exploring your connection to people and activities in your life that are meaningful. Spirituality and religion can bring comfort.
• Contact your healthcare provider or therapist if you have any questions or your symptoms seem to be getting worse.

What can I do to help my loved one?

If someone you love has a chronic disease, the most important thing to remember is to think about the person, not just the disease.

• Let the person talk about their disease, treatment, and feelings. Really listen to what they say. Let the person know that it’s OK to feel sad, confused, angry, or afraid. Having someone listen is a great comfort.
• Encourage the person to stay active and enjoy hobbies or special interests.
• Help the person keep as normal a routine as possible. Encourage hope and humor.
• Support the person when they have medical procedures or need to be in the hospital. Just being there with them can be a way to offer support. Talk about ways to handle the effects of medicines or treatments.

Seek help from a healthcare provider or therapist if you or someone you love feels overwhelmed. Get emergency care if you or a loved one has serious thoughts of suicide or self-harm, violence, or harming others.