Wednesday, May 31, 2006

 

Coping With Your Hepatitis C Diagnosis...



It's very likely that you have known that something wasn't "right" for a while. Perhaps you thought that you were just run down, out of shape or not eating well. On the other hand, you may have suspected the worst: could your symptoms be due to a tumor, or even cancer? Chances are that if you shared your concerns with family or friends they tried to reassure you. Maybe this helped, or maybe it didn't.
But now you are at the end of an extensive diagnostic process. Maybe you've had bloodwork, an ultrasound, or even a liver biopsy. And now your doctor has told you that you are infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

How do you feel? How are you supposed to feel? And what do you do now?

Understanding your Reaction...
Your new diagnosis is a life-changing event. You can expect to have a whole range of different feelings about it, feelings that may be uncomfortable and hard to predict. Some healthcare experts have applied Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' theory of grieving to help people understand their own reactions to their HCV diagnosis. Dr. Kubler-Ross' theory about the stages of grief, described in her 1969 book "On Death and Dying," was initially developed through her observations of terminally ill patients and their families. However, many mental health professionals believe that her 5-stage model can be applied to help people understand and possibly predict their emotional reactions to other events involving loss, such as loss of health, loss of relationships, loss of independence or even loss of employment. It's important to note that your progression through these stages is not rigid. People move back and forth between stages, and there's no timetable for how quickly one "should" move through the grieving process. Also, even though you may be the one with HCV, bear in mind that your diagnosis is going to touch the lives of everyone who cares about you. Your family and those close to you are going to have emotional issues to cope with, as well. In the Kubler-Ross model, the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Denial

In the denial stage, one may simply not believe that the diagnosis is true. You may feel numb, or "in shock." Some people feel depersonalized, as though "it's happening to somebody else." You may feel nothing at all - for a while. Denial is not a bad thing - it helps one cope with feelings that may be overwhelming at the time, protecting the person from feeling out of control and helpless. As the shock wears off and you begin to accept the truth of your diagnosis, you will begin to experience other feelings.

Anger

In this stage, you've come to understood that your diagnosis is real and that you really have HCV, and you're angry about it. You may be angry in response to feelings of helplessness, or your anger may come from feelings that your diagnosis is "unfair." You may be angry at your own body or at God for "giving" you hepatitis. You may find yourself preoccupied with what could have been done to prevent the illness. You may also find yourself experiencing strong feelings of guilt as you struggle with the idea that you may have caused the disease can be difficult to cope with strong feelings of anger. You may be prone to lash out, or to "medicate" your feelings with alcohol, drugs or some other behavior. If you are the family member of someone with HCV, you may find the patient directing irrational anger at you.

Bargaining

As the anger subsides, you may find yourself trying to "make deals with God" to make your HCV go away. If this doesn't work, you may find yourself angry again, perhaps questioning and doubting your beliefs or spiritual relationships.

Depression

As bargaining subsides, the truth of your situation begins to "sink in." You may begin to have profound feelings of sadness and loss. Sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, lack of energy, poor concentration, and crying spells are common outward manifestations of depression. It is important to understand that this sort of depression is a normal part of the grieving process. However, depression that significantly interferes with basic activities (eating, bathing, dressing, etc.) or leads the person to thoughts of injuring themselves or others requires immediate (if not emergency) medical care.

Acceptance

Acceptance does not mean happiness. It means that you have allowed enough time and found enough support (from family, friends, or faith) to move forward in your life - your life as it is, not necessarily as you would like it - without suffering crippling emotional reactions or engaging in self-destructive coping behaviors.
Sometimes a "trigger" event will occur that will bring up strong feelings or anger of sadness months or years into the process. This can be something as small as a familiar smell or an old song.

Facilitating the Process

Coming to terms with your diagnosis is not easy, but there are some practical steps you can take to move ahead with your life: Give yourself plenty of time. Don't expect to come to terms with your diagnosis immediately. Learn all you can about HCV. Although Hepatitis C infection isn't rare, most people don't know much about it. As you learn about the disease, you empower yourself to make informed decisions about your care. Participate in a support group. Sharing your feelings and fears with other can decrease your feelings of isolation, and also provide practical advice for day-to-day coping. Use a journal to document your progress. If you tend to be obsessive, capturing your feelings and thoughts on paper can help you to "let go" and decreases anxiety.

If you are compulsively using alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, or any other pusuit to avoid your emotions, stop. If you can't stop, get help.


Source: Hepatitis Neighborhood


Comments:
informative. been enjoying your blog
 
Thank you john
 
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