Coping with psychological difficulties
Win the fight against anguish and depression. A serious life-threatening health condition understandably often invokes anguish and depression. Our susceptibility to these reactions is individual. If you as a patient or the patient’s close friend or relative are being overwhelmed by anguish and depression it is necessary to make use of effective drugs – anxiolytics or antidepressants. Quality of sleep is very important. If you cannot fall asleep or if you wake up early or repeatedly, or if you have uneasy dreams, you should consult with your doctor and ask him for a prescription of a suitable medicine.
Medicine should in general be accompanied by supportive psychotherapy and quality communication. Anguish is deepened by loneliness, the impossibility of openly communicating, distrust towards health personnel and insecurity concerning the possibilities of contact and help if the situation deteriorates. It is a well known fact that when quality care is ensured – for instance hospice care – anguish and consumption of psychiatric medicine declines.
If it is hard for you psychologically to manage your current situation and if talking to your close ones or health workers does not help, and nor does the medicine prescribed by the doctor, seek a crisis intervention and psychological support (psychotherapy) either from the hospice or crisis center close to you. Regional crisis centers can be found in the phone books of every regional town.
The reactions to a sickness that threatens life follow general rules. It is possible that being acquainted with these laws will make your adaptation to this difficult situation easier. Maybe you will feel better when you know that most people in your situation go through similar inner conflicts, anguish, letdowns, qualms, searches for the one responsible for this terrible situation, and false accusations of oneself and others. Sickness and death are a natural part of life on this planet.
However, do not despair if new difficulties arise. They do not by any means have to be evidence of your basic sickness and even less its progress or prognosis. Your health can be influenced by a banal illness. Even the most serious sickness does not prevent a feverish influenza, a toothache or a painful infliction of the spinal disk.
Hope remains forever. Even though it is necessary to accept the reality of a serious disease, serious limitations or even a short life perspective and take appropriate measures, hope always remains. Even face to face with death a person does not have to be alone, without hope, and without help.
If you are a believer, you have, when experiencing a serious sickness, the right to fulfillment of all your spiritual needs no matter the place and form of the health or social care provided. In hospitals and medical institutions contact with priests is obvious. Do not be afraid to profess your wish, you may not be unheard.
See also
- Communicate with people around you
- Learn to communicate with health workers
- Be active
- Coping with pain
- Coping with physical difficulties
- Good departure
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