Mental health and wellbeing
Living with a long term health condition can also bring challenges for your mental health and wellbeing.
When you're living with a long term condition you'll experience many different emotions including:
- anger
- frustration
- fear for what the future might hold
- grieving for the loss of elements of your previous lifestyle
Poor mental wellbeing can actually make your physical symptoms worse and you may find it harder to manage your condition. For example:
- attending an appointment
- managing your medication
- generally looking after yourself can become more challenging
Your overall health can also be affected if you're:
- worried
- thinking negatively about things that may happen
- overwhelmed emotionally with managing your physical health
- anxious or feeling stressed
How to look after your mental wellbeing
The advice and information on our mental wellbeing pages can help you improve your mental wellbeing so that you'll be better able to cope with the challenges of living with a long term condition.
Manage your emotional problems
The Expert Patient Programme can also help you manage your emotional problems resulting from long term illness. It can help you develop coping strategies so that you've ways to deal with challenges when they arise.
Feel in control
You will feel in control by understanding:
- more about your condition
- how your condition affects your body
- how your medicines work
- more about the things you can do to take care of yourself
Speak to people who have the same condition
Try to speak to other people who have the same condition and will understand what you're facing. One way to do this is to join local support groups or online forums / support groups.
Try to sleep well
Pain, discomfort and your fluctuating emotions can also affect your sleep patterns which in turn can make you more tired. There are a range of things you can try for yourself to improve your sleep.
If you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed by your condition, it's important you speak about your feelings to your GP or any member of your healthcare team.