Coping with Chronic Dz (Britton) Flashcards
List patient responses to a diagnosis of a chronic disease
- Shock and denial
- Anger and resentment
- Guilt and self-blame
- Sadness, worry, and depression
Healthy coping mechanisms
-shock and denial
- Encourage them to talk about their feelings.
- Help them realize that what they’re feeling is normal.
- Encourage them to focus on the positives and to learn about the things that are within their power to manage.
Healthy coping mechanisms
-anger and resentment
•Help them to realize that it is OK to feel angry or resentful.
-It helps if they are able to share these thoughts with someone who is trusted.
•Encourage them not to let resentment overtake them.
-There are no guarantees that doing everything right will prevent problems.
•Help them set realistic expectations and know that _________ cannot be managed perfectly.
-Help them to feel good about what they can do, no matter how small.
Healthy coping mechanisms
-guilt and self-blame
•Encourage them not to blame themselves.
-For many diseases, it is true that they did not give themselves __________.
•They cannot change the past, but they can learn from it.
-They cannot undo lifestyle choices, but they can change their choices moving forward.
•Focus on what they can do in the future to improve their situation.
Healthy coping mechanisms
-sadness, worry, and depression
- Help them to realize that sadness and worry are normal emotions.
- Encourage them to talk with you or other healthcare providers if feelings of depression, sadness, or hopelessness are prolonged.
- Encourage them to be involved in regular physical activity for its antidepressant effects.
List the four steps of problem solving that patients should implement when doing self care for a chronic disease
- Step 1 – identify the problem
- Step 2 – think of possible solutions
- Step 3 – identify thoughts and attitudes that come with the problem
- Step 4 – choose a solution, try it, and see how it works out
Identify approaches and considerations for the successful implementation of each step in the problem-solving approach
-Step 1
identify the problem
•Have the patient describe the problem
•Being very specific is more helpful
•The more specific the patient can be, the more likely they are to find a solution that works
•Examples:
-“I can’t remember to take my medications.” (too vague)
-“I remember to take my medicine in the morning, but I can’t remember to take medicine before supper.” (more specific)
Identify approaches and considerations for the successful implementation of each step in the problem-solving approach
-Step 2
think of possible solutions
•Have the patient brainstorm things they can do to remember to take the pre-supper medicines
•Offer suggested solutions if the patient is unable to come up with anything helpful
Identify approaches and considerations for the successful implementation of each step in the problem-solving approach
-Step 3
identify thoughts and attitudes that come with the problem
•Ask patients to recall the thoughts or attitudes they experienced when this problem has happened before and what happened then.
•Ask patients to practice more positive thoughts.
-This does not come naturally; patients have to make themselves do it.
•Ask patients to focus on any progress they’ve made, even if small.
•Help patients realize that negative thoughts may discourage them from trying to cope with diabetes problems in the future and lead to negative actions.
Identify approaches and considerations for the successful implementation of each step in the problem-solving approach
-Step 4
choose a solution, try it, and see how it works out
•Trying is worth the effort.
•Try the next option on your list of possible solutions.
•View failures as opportunities to learn what DOES NOT work.
Provide a definition for motivation using the terms cost, benefit, and balance.
- Motivation is what drives you from the inside to do the things you do.
- Any time we make a decision, we weigh the pros and cons at some level.
- The balancing of the pros and cons is a big part of our motivation to do or not do something.
- There are costs and benefits in any change we think about making.
List triggers that may cause a relapse in a patient attempting to provide self-care of a chronic disease
- Situations causing anxiety, stress, loneliness, boredom, anger
- Pleasurable feelings such as during a celebration
- Social pressure
- Relationship conflicts
- People, places, and things could be a trigger to give up plans
What are the key elements in teaching a patient how to prevent a relapse?
•Teach patients to practice forgiveness
-Harsh judgment and feelings of guilt often lead to even more negative actions.
•Help patients try to figure out what may have triggered the relapse.
•Encourage patients to practice positive “self-talk,” concentrating on what they learned from the lapse.
•Encourage patients to focus their energy on getting back on track and to use their support network.
What is the most common emotion of the family and friends of a person with a chronic disease?
Fear
Provide a rationale for the controlling and “pushy” behaviors of some family members and friends of a person with a chronic disease
- Controlling people may create power struggles with the one who has diabetes.
- Why are people controlling? They may feel responsible for the patient’s health.
