coping Archives - The Health Sessions

What to Do after Receiving a Cancer Diagnosis

This article has been written by dr. Garvita Arora for CancerBro.

Being diagnosed with cancer has a major impact on the person’s life rigorously affecting their everyday routine, lifestyle, work and emotions. More than 24 million people have received a diagnosis of cancer over the past 5 years worldwide with more than 40% reporting of challenges in accomplishing some of their daily activities. While there is not a definite answer to what you must certainly do after receiving a diagnosis, this article will show you ways to cope with your physical and emotional health after receiving a cancer diagnosis.

Having cancer puts you at the edge of asking questions about the prognosis of cancer, how serious your cancer is, in how long will you be cured and will you be treated at all. It is normal to ask all these sorts of questions from your physician and oncologist in order to gain clarity about your diagnosis. Feel free to ask as many questions from your cancer group and understand what kind of treatment is the best suited for you.

Enquire about your treatment options and also about the side effects, because they are very likely to occur. Being aware of the side effects of your treatment at the earliest stage will help you in taking protective measures at the earliest. Ask your doctor how severe your side effects could be and how you should manage them. Also ask how your diagnosis is expected to affect your daily lifestyle: can you regularly go to work and have a routine social life? It’s important to seek your doctor’s advice for the management of your condition.

How to Sleep Well with a Chronic Illness

This article is written by Danielle B Roberts.

According to the National Health Council, 157 million Americans will be living with at least one chronic illness. An illness is considered to be chronic if the duration is three months or longer. Some examples of common chronic illnesses are diabetes, heart disease, endometriosis, lupus, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Due to the pain and restlessness caused by chronic illnesses, many people who have a chronic illness also suffer from insomnia. About 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia. Insomnia too can be a chronic condition.

You are considered to have insomnia if you have or do any of the following:

Difficulty falling asleep
Coming in and out of sleep in the middle of the night
Waking up earlier than expected
Fatigue during the day
The feeling of being unrefreshed when you wake up
Difficulty focusing and remembering

These are just a few of the symptoms one can experience from insomnia. Insomnia can bring on its own battles as well. Insomnia can cause you to have anxiety, depression, mood swings, and more. If you have a chronic illness, here are some things to try to help your insomnia.

8 Mind Tricks to Cope with Chronic Pain | The Health Sessions

8 Mental Techniques to Cope with Chronic Pain

There’s an overwhelming amount of advice available about how to reduce pain. But how exactly do you deal with pain that won’t go away?

Millions of people around the world suffer from pain that continues beyond the expected period of healing. When you experience chronic pain, your body is in a constant state of fight-or-flight. This on-going stress damages your body and even changes the neural circuits in your brain. Chronic pain can also lead to depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders and avoidant behavior, which in turn worsen your existing pain.

Everyone copes with pain differently, but some ways are more effective and constructive than others. When it comes to chronic pain, there’s one group of strategies you may easily overlook: how to manage pain with your mind.

12 Courage Quotes to Inspire You to Be Brave

From biblical tales to action hero movies, courage is a virtue that’s universally admired. Many stories portray the courageous knights, explorers and freedom fighters as people who are fearless and bold.

But in reality, courage doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. On the contrary: without fear, there is no courage.

Courage is about feeling the fear yet deciding to act anyway. Not in a reckless way, but thoughtfully taking necessary risks. More than just physical bravery, courage is also about keeping your head held high when life gets tough. It’s about standing up for what’s right, even if you might get hurt. As Brené Brown has shown us, there lies true courage in daring to be vulnerable.

Thankfully, courage isn’t something you’re born with or not – it’s a skill that can be cultivated. Do you want to be braver? Take a look at these 12 courage quotes.

45 Ways to Cheer Yourself Up When You’re Down

Life gets all of us down sometimes. And that’s perfectly normal – you shouldn’t push your sadness, anxiety or loneliness away. But it isn’t helpful to get stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts, feelings and behavior either.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to instantly boost your mood. You might be tempted to drown your sorrows by eating junk food, having one more glass of wine or obsessively checking your phone. Those actions might brighten your mood for a moment, but they’ll only make you feel even worse afterwards.

To really get out of your funk, take a look at these 45 ways to cheer yourself up when you’re down (that don’t involve ice cream).