Having a long-term health condition can not only be physically demanding, but also mentally and emotionally. Depression, anger and/or anxiety are common responses. You may think that no one understands you and that the less physically obvious the condition is, the less others will empathise with you. Medication and other areas of your life may start to be neglected. Some parts of life could be more difficult, such as your relationships with others because you might find it hard to explain how your condition affects you. Support can help to understand and accept the way you are feeling, as well as develop new ways of coping.
Some of the long-term health conditions that we can support with include:
- Diabetes
- Breathlessness or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Longterm heart conditions
- Chronic pain
Health anxiety is a reoccurring fear that you have a serious illness even though you are healthy. When you notice differences in your body, this may be used to support your thoughts. Common anxieties involve a fear that you have HIV/AIDS, cancer and Parkinson’s disease. A significant amount of time may be spent researching illnesses and checking your symptoms. This anxiety can interfere with daily life, for example, relationships can become tense.