3 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Long-Term Disability Diagnosis

Being diagnosed with a long-term disability can disrupt all aspects of your life. For starters, it can prevent you from getting and maintaining employment. It can also put a strain on marital relations and friendships.

Common emotional responses are denial, anger, a sense of isolation and loneliness, frustration, bargaining, depression, regret or guilt, and feeling powerless. How you react will depend on several factors, including your prognosis, age, personality, financial ability, and the amount of support you have. It’s important to note that there’s no right or wrong way to respond. What’s important is to take as much time as you need to grieve so you can finally reach the acceptance stage.

Getting used to a new way of living can be frightening, not to mention it’s a long-term process. The stress of the situation can be tough to manage. In addition to the everyday challenges that we all face, long-term disability adds new layers of stressors, which, in turn, contribute to poorer health. The good news is you’re not powerless. There are steps you can take to help you navigate this challenging new journey and ease the stress the often accompanies long-term disability. Here are the three most important ones to get you started:

1. Build a Support System

When facing a long-term disability, it’s easy to feel alone and misunderstood, or perhaps like you’re a burden to others. You may be tempted to withdraw from others, but now is not the time to do that. Whatever your situation, staying connected will make all the difference in your outlook as you undergo treatment. In addition to providing practical assistance such as helping with household chores or driving you around, leaning on others is essential for your emotional well-being.

The best support starts with those closest to you –that is, friends and family members. They can provide both physical support and a shoulder to cry on. Remember to also have fun from time to time as it will help you stay positive and hopeful. You could also join a disability support group within your community or even online. By being around people who are dealing with similar challenges, you’ll quickly realize you’re not alone. Such groups provide a safe space to share struggles, tips and to encourage one another without fear of being judged or looked down on. Talking to a therapist can also help you work through your grief and find a more positive, realistic outlook.

Last but not least, seek financial support. Long-term disability requires additional medical services, medications, and even counseling. Unfortunately, conditions like POTS are often ignored by insurance companies, which can drain family resources over the lifetime of the disability. Luckily, there are government programs, charities, and private programs to help those who have long-term disabilities.

2. Face Your Emotions

Being diagnosed with a long-term disability that has the potential to disrupt your life can elicit all kinds of emotions, including fear, anger, anxiety, grief, rage, and depression, to name a few. You may think that bottling up your feelings and putting on a brave face will provide the best outcome, but research shows that this might only increase your stress levels and make you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Refusing to face your fears is what will lead to sadness, hopelessness, and even elevates the amount of pain you feel. On the other hand, facing your emotions can help you come to terms with your condition and ease both physical and mental stress. Many things are proven to help you deal with such overpowering emotions, some ideas include deep breathing, spending time with loved ones, listening to music, stretching, meditation, spa treatments, or exercising.

3. Pursue Things That Bring Joy to Your Life

A long-term disability diagnosis can take away several aspects of your life and leave you wondering who you are, where you fit in the society, and what your value is. You can quickly start feeling less useful, especially if you are no longer capable of doing the things you used to do before. Even so, whatever long-term disability you’re facing doesn’t have to define who you are. If your condition doesn’t allow you to do the things you previously enjoyed, go ahead and find something that gives you a new sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Volunteering, for instance, is a great way to feel like you’re making a difference. Be sure to pick a cause you’re passionate about, and find out how you can be of help. You can also pick up a long-neglected hobby, enjoy the arts, learn something new like an instrument or a foreign language, spend time in nature, write your memoirs, blog about your experiences, take care of an animal, and much more.

By pursuing these activities, you can reaffirm that they are the ones that define you as an individual, and not the disability.

Long-term disability diagnosis can be very stressful, which can be hard on the body and mind. Taking steps to manage stress can help you maintain a good quality of life.