Coping With Depression And Lupus

It is easy for patients with lupus to fall into depression.

But this may just be a temporary condition and there are ways to cope with anxiety and depression associated with lupus. Aside from keeping yourself physically healthy with diet and exercise, take care of your emotional and mental well-being to be able to stave off depression:

• It is normal for people to feel shock, anger, and sadness once they are diagnosed with a chronic disease. However, you must try not be stuck in this stage and move on to acceptance, so that you can think of ways to improve your situation. Talk to your doctor about how you can cope with the physical consequences of your condition and how you can work around it.

• Empower yourself by learning more about lupus. Consult your doctor, your physical therapist, nutritionist, or nurse about your condition. Read more about it and find out what treatments and alternative approaches are available to relieve your symptoms.

• Find support from your family, friends, support group or therapist. These people can help you with your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. You can also try to find out how other people with lupus are coping with their disease. You might also benefit from helping others cope with their situation by making yourself an example of strength. Online resources are also available for people who find it difficult to seek out personal encounters.

• Live one day at a time. Some days are better than others, and when moments come and you are unable to do tasks because you are feeling too tired, think about doing them another day, when you are feeling better. However, do not let yourself be discouraged, nor push yourself into being too eager to perform beyond your limits.

• Avoid over-commitments and learn to say 'no' to doing tasks that are too much for you to handle in one day. Break up big tasks into smaller tasks that are manageable. Prioritize your activities.

• Always try to be positive. Keep a list of things that make you happy and use these to pull yourself out of depression or negative self-talk. Maybe you enjoy watching movies, reading books, or calling a friend. If you cannot do any of these today because of your symptoms, turn to meditation, or simply rest and tell yourself you can do it tomorrow.

  See Also: Ten Advances In The Fight Against Lupus

• Get in touch with your spirituality. Praying, meditating, doing spiritual reading, going to church and talking with someone in a community of believers can help you gain acceptance and inner peace. Many people who nurture their faith are actually happy in spite of their disease.

• Seek professional help. Talk therapy with a mental health counselor can help you deal with stress, especially if you cannot cope with your situation on your own. Aside from this, a doctor can also prescribe medications such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs, if needed, to help you cope with depression.