When you are disabled or chronically ill, you often deal with a lot of health issues on a regular basis that can be difficult to manage. It is difficult and stressful to manage a health condition, but it is even more stressful when you are having health issues that you can’t fix alone and need a doctor to investigate. When you are disabled, it can be difficult to find a doctor who understands the challenges of your disability and is willing to listen to your concerns because not all doctors care. You never know what kind of care you are going to get when you go to a new doctor, or if your problem is even fixable, because sometimes you can’t cure pain. It is stressful enough to live with a medical condition, but it can be even more stressful when you are starting to experience even more health issues. Medical stress is something that a lot of disabled and chronically ill people have experienced because our disabilities are not within our complete control, and sometimes we have health issues we weren’t anticipating. How do you deal with medical stress? In this post, I am sharing what I do when I am having a health problem and am dealing with medical stress.
Find a doctor who listens to your concerns- If you go to the right kind of doctor who truly cares, it can help lessen your medical stress because it’s so important to have a team that supports you during hard times. There is nothing worse than going to a doctor to have a health problem investigated, 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, 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 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. I don’t constantly want to be talking about health issues I am experiencing, so please don’t ask me about them or even mention them if I am in the room.
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 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 there is nothing wrong with you if you have a harder time coping with stress. Find something that works for you because the most important thing is that you find healthy ways to deal with your stress. How do you manage medical stress? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
New posts are published most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Subscribe to my blog’s email list to be notified when a new post is made.
My Rockin Disabled Life 