A chronic disease is considered to be any pathology that evolves over a long period of time, that rarely achieves a complete cure and that is generally slow in progression. Although there is no consensus that determines when it is considered a chronic disease, it is usually in the case of periods that exceed six months. Hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, heart failure, just some of the most common that medical professionals often encounter during their consultations. And not everyone fits these diagnoses in the same way.
From the Clínica Universidad de Navarra they explain that there is a good variety of factors that influence the process of patients when facing their chronic illness. And this will largely depend on both the particular pathology and the patient's personality and the social support they have. But how can you deal with the idea of living with a chronic illness in the best way possible?
The professionals at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra differentiate between two clear attitudes that their patients adopt when assuming the diagnosis of a chronic disease. On the one hand, people who handle it with an optimistic attitude. As medical personnel have seen, these types of patients are able to cope better with the symptoms of physical illnesses. This is because, in general terms, they are more decisive.
That is, patients who act from an optimistic position try to assume a more positive disposition, they are responsible for actively seeking social support and, as experts highlight, they become more involved in the treatment and participate in it.
While, on the other side of the scale, there would be patients who allow themselves to be carried away by a much more pessimistic mentality. In these cases, these people focus on negative feelings and thoughts, which begin to consume them. Furthermore, they are often mired in denial and distancing, which often complicates the process of coping with the illness in the best way possible.
Specialists affirm that, during a chronic illness, different phases of adaptation are gone through and, therefore, different feelings are experienced. Sometimes more positive, other times more negative. But it is important to try to view the situation with optimism to better adapt to it, as they recommend. Of course, they ensure that negative sensations should not be repressed or ignored, on the contrary, they should be expressed in order to confront them.
One of the main pieces of advice for those experiencing a chronic illness is to ask all your questions about it. From the symptoms, the treatment, the prognosis, everything. And always allow yourself to be supported and seek support in your immediate environment.
