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Adjusting to a serious illness
Coping with illness and pain can be one of the hardest things to overcome and it means accepting and understanding your illness. It is important that you find a way to deal with your feelings. These feelings may include:
- irritation
- anger
- denial
- depression or disbelief
- anxiety
- confusion
Taking control of your medical condition will help you have better outcomes both physically and mentally. You can do this by taking your medicine or making adjustments to your lifestyle. It is important that you understand your illness, so ask your doctor to explain things in more detail if it helps you understand. You can also find lots of information about your condition on the internet; so arm yourself with as much information as you need. This will prepare you for the future, but don't let thinking about your illness take over your life. Don’t dwell on what you can’t do, but re-focus on what you can do and explore new interests.
Looking after someone with a serious medical condition
If a friend or family member is ill then this can often be harder to deal with, especially if you have to look after them. Looking after someone with a serious medical condition can often be emotional, as you may watch them gradually deteriorate. Young carers are young people who have someone in their family with a long term illness, a disability or problems with drink and drugs. This could be your mum, dad, brother, sister or a grandparent and you can find out more in our article being a young carer.
Self-help groups can be very helpful in providing you with people to talk to that understand how you are feeling. They can also help you keep up to date with the latest research. It's also important to confide in those you trust, like close friends and family members. The most important factor when seeking help isn't necessarily finding someone who knows a lot about your illness, but finding someone who is willing to listen when you're depressed, angry, frustrated.
Whether you are a young carer or ill yourself you might want to talk to someone. You can speak confidentially with one of our Personal Advisers at your local Connexions Centre/One Stop Shop,
Connexions Direct - 080 800 13 2 19
NHS-Direct - 0845 46 47
BBC - Health
The BBC’s health site provides an index of illnesses and online doctors to give you advice.
Channel 4 - Health
Find further information support lines about a range of different illness or problems.
Samaritans
Samaritans provides confidential non-judgmental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Childline
You can talk to Childline free and confidentially about any worries or concerns you may have.
NHS Direct
The NHS Direct self-help guide covers the most common symptoms, conditions and ailments which people call NHS Direct about for advice.
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