Coping with acute or chronic illness
Even though such challenges are universal, are so to speak facts of life…, for most of us being diagnosed with an acute or a chronic illness is deeply traumatic. How much this seeps through all aspects of personal and social life cannot be underestimated. Thoughts, emotions and behaviours are all impacted. People can feel they are on a rollercoaster (made of fear, anger, sadness, distress, depressive symptoms). Some common issues people experience include body image disturbance, sleep difficulties, loss of role when they are not able to work or contribute to family life in the same capacity, loss of dignity, physical pain and fear of suffering, fear of relapsing and fear of dying.
Some fears are all too real and it is worth bearing in mind that this is abnormal stress, and no-one should have to do this alone…
And there is hope: following the initial chock, provided they feel adequately supported, many people go back to their initial level of happiness, or even grow from their ordeal as they reassess priorities in their life, sometimes becoming happier than before.
It is well established that feeling listened to can provide relief. The cornerstone of my integrative practice thus involves taking the time to understand, no matter how distressing the issues. I will then tailor the therapy to each individual’s needs and circumstances, typically helping them become more aware of their coping style and building up on their own coping skills. I strive to give people some control back, for instance by means of suggesting lifestyle changes, highlighting ways of managing stress, which includes assessing the impact of their thought process and what can be done about it. I would also help them explore what they need to achieve, or say, to increase or regain a sense of peace, emotional wellbeing and even thrive and flourish in the face of adversity.
Some fears are all too real and it is worth bearing in mind that this is abnormal stress, and no-one should have to do this alone…
And there is hope: following the initial chock, provided they feel adequately supported, many people go back to their initial level of happiness, or even grow from their ordeal as they reassess priorities in their life, sometimes becoming happier than before.
It is well established that feeling listened to can provide relief. The cornerstone of my integrative practice thus involves taking the time to understand, no matter how distressing the issues. I will then tailor the therapy to each individual’s needs and circumstances, typically helping them become more aware of their coping style and building up on their own coping skills. I strive to give people some control back, for instance by means of suggesting lifestyle changes, highlighting ways of managing stress, which includes assessing the impact of their thought process and what can be done about it. I would also help them explore what they need to achieve, or say, to increase or regain a sense of peace, emotional wellbeing and even thrive and flourish in the face of adversity.