Contents:
- Medical Video: Johns Hopkins Medicine | Aplastic Anemia
- Emotions that are common
- Manage emotions
- Step 1: Change your attitude
- Step 2: Get to know and control the bad emotions caused by chronic diseases
- Step 3: Build a positive attitude
- Step 4: Stay connected with friends and support groups
Medical Video: Johns Hopkins Medicine | Aplastic Anemia
Here, we present information to patients, families, and nurses about effective ways to deal with the emergence and continuation of the condition of bone marrow failure: aplastic anemia. Even though the diagnosis of a disease is an unpleasant life event, keep being positive by managing stress and worry, undergoing treatment, and enjoying the present life may have certain limitations - these are all important elements of coping (and to succeed in) living with a disease of failure Bone marrow.
The most important thing is to realize that when building and managing 'living well', there will be ups and downs - rollercoaster emotional like progress and deterioration in health development.
Emotions that are common
It is normal to experience various emotions when you receive a diagnosis of bone marrow failure. As you progress through different stages, you may experience:
Rejection
"I'm not feeling too bad", maybe your first reaction when the first bone marrow failure was confirmed and you feel good.
Worried
"What happens in the future?" In the future you are wondering what your life will be like in the coming weeks, months, and years.
Confusion
"What does all this mean?" You want to know exactly what happened and why.
Anger
"How can my body have this condition?" Even though you have had a physical illness occasionally, you never have a serious condition and feel that your trusted body has betrayed you and feels no longer your body.
Reception
"I can handle this." It's normal to experience all the reactions above, but when you decide to overcome them and learn the habits and skills of "strong patients," you have taken the first step towards a good life.
Manage emotions
Here are steps to help you manage your emotions.
Step 1: Change your attitude
Each of the above reactions is not a problem, but how you choose to respond to them will determine how you deal with your illness.
Manage stress and worry - although this cannot be completely eliminated, it can be managed.
Moving forward with your life - even though your life has changed, you can still take one day at a time and focus on the things you need to do and the elective things you want to do.
Enjoy the things you always enjoy - realize that even though things have changed with your physical condition, interests, hobbies, relationships, and most professional skills still exist and with the exception of physical activity, you can still do those things.
Try to find new support - you don't have to solve this problem yourself. Outside of family and friends, help is available from support organizations for patients, communities, professional assistance such as psychologists, community counseling services, and organized informal support groups.
Step 2: Get to know and control the bad emotions caused by chronic diseases
With the main challenges of chronic diseases, patients can easily become depressed and / or anxious about their new state of health. The key is to be able to recognize the symptoms and take appropriate action.
Here are symptoms of depression:
- Sadness or despair that lasts 2 weeks or more
- Loss of interest in activities that he previously enjoyed
- Feel helpless, hopeless, isolated, and overwhelmed
- Inability to concentrate
- Problems with eating, sleeping, and general functions everyday
- Problems with anger and interpersonal relationships
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Anxiety symptoms can coexist with depression and may include feelings of fear, panic phobia, and obsessive-compulsive behavior, in addition to other problems related to depression.
Step 3: Build a positive attitude
Make a goal to live well by identifying your life situation, which conditions you can control and which you cannot control. By thinking concretely, plan phased activities for things you can do, and don't spend valuable time and energy on things you cannot control. You can focus on making a better life and getting the best health care.
Make your choice in situations that you can control.
Don't spend time imagining scenarios that might never happen
Step 4: Stay connected with friends and support groups
Appoint a spokesperson to tell everyone in your network about your condition. This allows you and your nurse / partner / parent / child to stay focused on taking care of you first, and important concerns that need your attention. Your spokesperson might get someone from a family member, a friend you might always let them know so they can tell your family and friends.
