LIVING WITH A LONG-TERM CONDITION
What is a long term
condition?
A long-term condition is an
illness that cannot be cured but can usually be
controlled with medicines or other treatments.
Examples of long-term conditions include
arthritis,
asthma,
diabetes,
epilepsy,
angina,
heart failure,
high blood pressure, Mental Health problems,
Migraines, PMT,Allergies,
, Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, Depression, Dementia,
Chronic kidney disease and Chronic pain etc.
There is a strong link between physical long term
conditions and psychological distress/disorder. Mental
health problems are much more common in those with
physical illnesses. Compared with the general
population, People with two or more long term conditions
are seven times more likely to have depression.
Living with a long term condition
Having a health condition, you might become sad and
discouraged. Perhaps you are thinking about activities
you’re no longer able to do – and your mood drops.
Perhaps you have reduced activities in order to avoid
pain.
You might have difficulty keeping a sense of connection
to family, friends or others. This can happen in a few
ways. Maybe you’ve been withdrawing from others because
of low mood or anxiety – you feel so discouraged and
worried that it’s hard to be with other people. Or,
maybe you think others don’t want to be around you. If
you avoid social contact because of low mood or
discouragement,
you may find yourself cut off from others. This kind of
isolation has been shown to worsen mood, which can lead
to a vicious cycle:
Sometimes it’s hard to
reach out to people because you’ve always been
independent, and you find it hard to depend on others.
But if you don’t reach
out to others, they may not realize that you need their
support. |