The diagnosis of a serious physical health problem begins a period of significant distress and adjustment for the individual as well as their significant others. Unfortunately, the psychological aspects of coping with physical health problem are often overlooked.

 

In some cases, when first diagnosed with a serious physical health problem, individuals may react by going into denial. They may feel as though acknowledging their condition makes it all too real, and try to ignore it. However, ignoring the situation won't make it go away.  In fact, ignoring a serious health condition can even make symptoms worse and affect your quality of life.

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Chronic health condition can trigger a variety of emotions, such as anxiety, frustration, anger, and sadness. To a certain degree, some of these emotions might have a function in the short-term. For example, anxiety surrounding the treatment might prompt people to look for additional information about how to deal with the treatment’s side effects. However, when the distress levels are highly elevated or are elevated for a long period of time, they will have a disruptive effect on the individual’s quality of life.

 

Chronic health condition may affect your quality of your life in different ways such as:

• causing anxiety and depression

• affecting sleep patterns

• limiting your ability to work

• increasing your dependency on others

• affecting how you see yourself e.g. body image

• increasing feelings of social isolation

 

There comes a time when support is needed from a certified professional to learn how to cope better with many of the life’s challenges you may experience. My goal is to support you in your journey of coping with your health condition and help you transform your life into the one you would like to live. Health condition that I may work with include but are not limited to:

 

• Cancer

• Cardiac condition (e.g. coronary heart disease, heart attack)

• Diabetes

• Respiratory condition (e.g. COPD)

• Autoimmune Disorders

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• Other chronic health conditions (e.g. Crohn’s disease)

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For Those Who Care - Caregiver support

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In my work I recognised the need for psychological support not only for the individuals who were diagnosed but also to those close to them. Often caregivers do not take the time and energy to promote their well-being and therefore are often suffering from chronic distress. You can use the time of our sessions to work on issues related to distress coming from supporting a loved one.