When you are disabled or chronically ill, you often have a lot of health issues that a non-disabled person has never experienced and will never fully understand. Managing a health condition is difficult and stressful, but it is even more stressful when you are having more health issues that doctors are having a hard time figuring out. Medical stress is something that a lot of disabled and chronically ill people are all too familiar with because we deal with so many health challenges on a regular basis. I always have some level of stress because of my disability, but there are times in my life when I am not feeling well and have more stress. As a disabled person, I think that I am pretty good at handling medical stress because I have dealt with a lot of health issues my entire life and have learned ways to cope with them. Some people do not handle medical stress as well as I do because they may only have an occasional health problem. How do I cope with medical stress? In this post, I am sharing what I do when I am having a health problem and am dealing with a lot of medical stress.
Find a doctor who listens to your concerns- Doctors can sometimes contribute to someone’s medical stress and make it worse, but if you go to the right doctor who truly listens to your concerns, it can help you have less stress. There is nothing worse than going to the doctor for a health problem, only to have them dismiss you and blame you for the problem. When I have a health issue, I try to go to doctors who I know will listen to my concerns because I have less medical stress when my doctor listens to my concerns and doesn’t dismiss them. Doctors can help you work through your medical stress, but if they are dismissive and make you question your symptoms, they can contribute to it and cause more stress. It is so important to find a doctor who listens to you because, although your doctor can’t take away your medical stress, it can lessen your anxiety when you go to the doctor and feel supported.
Find a way to distract yourself from your health problem- When I am having a medical issue that requires surgery, I try not to think about it too much because the more I think about it, the more it gives me anxiety. I find ways to distract myself from my health issue that takes my mind off of it for a while, because sitting around thinking about it is the worst thing you can do for yourself. If all you do is think about the surgery you’re going to have, it will make things worse, and you will become more stressed. Find an activity, such as watching your favorite TV show or reading your favorite book, that takes your mind off it.
Do something that makes you laugh- When I am having a lot of medical stress, I sometimes will watch a lot of funny videos because laughter can help lift your spirits and truly is the best medicine for stress.
Create boundaries for yourself- When you are disabled and having a lot of health issues, often people will come up to you and ask for a health update. Most people who ask me for health updates, I personally know and don’t mind telling them, but not all disabled people will want to talk about their personal health problems, and shouldn’t have to. It is so important to create boundaries for yourself, and if you don’t want to talk about your upcoming surgery with your friends, it’s okay to tell them that because you are not entitled to a disabled person’s personal health issues. Some disabled people may not mind talking about their health problems, while others will want to talk about anything but that. Personally, I don’t like to constantly talk about health issues I am experiencing because I try to forget about them for as long as I can. It is okay to tell me that you’re thinking about me, but at the same time, it’s important to know that I may not want to talk about it.
Go for walk and enjoy the fresh air- If you have a lot of stress, go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air. Walking can be very therapeutic, and sometimes all you need is a little fresh air to decompress and forget about all of life’s problems. I love to use exercise as a way to manage my stress because exercise increases endorphins, and I always feel better after exercise. It is okay if you are not able to walk and have to use a wheelchair, because the most important thing isn’t the exercise itself, but it’s that you are getting yourself out of the house.
Remind yourself it’s going to get better– Surgery does not always improve pain, and sometimes doctors make mistakes, and you leave with more pain than you came with, but most times it improves pain. You never know the outcome of surgery until it’s done, but it is so important that you get yourself in the right mindset because it will help you cope better. When I am having a tough surgery recovery, I try to remind myself that this is only temporary and will get better. It is easy to bring yourself down when you have a health issue, and it is so important that you get yourself in the right mindset. It is okay to be negative sometimes, and I am not suggesting you force positivity, but it can help cope with stress when you give yourself words of encouragement.
Medical stress is something that many disabled people have dealt with at one time or another because we have a lot of health issues that are not always predictable. Disabled people have to deal with health issues that a non-disabled person will never have to experience, and it is stressful to live with constant health issues. These are things that help me manage medical stress, but not everyone will manage stress in the same way I do, and that is okay. There is no right or wrong way to manage medical stress because we all handle stress differently. Some people can handle stress better than others, and it is okay if you have a harder time coping with stress than your friend does. Find something that works for you because the most important thing is that you find healthy ways to deal with your stress. because drinking away your problems is not the answer. How do you manage medical stress? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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