It is hard for everyone to accept that their loved ones are battling chronic diseases. You may feel weak and helpless when you cannot do anything to cure their illness and help them get through this pain.
But what you need to know is that your presence matters a lot; you can help them in recovery or comfort them during challenging times. Family support plays a significant role in improving the condition of chronic patients.
Here are the eight ways of supporting your loved ones through chronic diseases.
Be Open to Communication
Communication is the key to success in helping your loved ones recover from chronic health issues. Sometimes people try to safeguard their families and friends from bad news to protect them.
Be honest and discuss the disease of your loved one with your family members; take them into confidence. Hiding the illness and skipping important details can cost you later as your family is not well-prepared to handle the out-of-control situation.
Remember that even a younger family member can help your loved one in such a condition. Children are a source of happiness as their laughter and warmth can bring a smile to the patient.
- Conduct Your Research
The best way to extend support to your loved ones is to know about chronic diseases’ causes, symptoms, and treatment.
When you understand better, you can help better. Take out some time and research the health condition of your loved one.
You don’t have to collect all the information about the disease. Make sure to understand the basic things and important terms of the disease.
For instance, assistance for veterans requires customized treatment plans if you know and understand their health conditions.
In this way, your loved ones would feel more understood and cared for when they realize you stand with them in every situation.
Be Selective
Disclosing the disease to your family members does not mean you have to tell everyone. Be selective and share the news of your loved one’s illness with the only people you think truly care about them.
Choose to share the news with people carefully as it could affect your loved one’s trust in you. In such cases, not everyone behaves the same way; some people come forward for help while others prefer to leave.
It can influence the patient’s mental health who is battling a chronic disease. Always consider those people to share such information who give you a stronger sense of strength and hope.
Be Open-Minded and Trust Your Loved Ones
Many patients feel isolated and depressed while coping with critical health conditions. Some diseases show clear symptoms that you can see and observe, while others do not show physical symptoms.
Be open-minded and believe your loved ones when they say anything that you cannot see. Trust them when they tell you how they feel and confide in you about their pain.
When your loved ones feel acknowledged and trusted, it relieves their anxiety and lowers depression. In addition, it would ease their healing journey when they realize their family and friends are with them and trust them fully.
They may feel more confident while telling you about their condition.
Don’t Make a Comparison
Your loved ones seek your support more when they suffer from chronic health conditions. Don’t belittle their pain by comparing their disease with someone else.
Don’t use trite expressions like, ‘I have seen someone with more severe symptoms, ‘It could be worse,’ or ‘Your pain is nothing compared to that person.’
Such statements can badly affect the mental health of the patient. However, you try to comfort your loved ones by stating expressions like these, but it could backfire.
After listening to these words, your loved ones may feel more isolated. It is always a possibility of a worst-case scenario.
But, comparing your loved ones’ pain with others doesn’t do any good to them and ease their pain.
Ask them Direct Questions
In such hard times, your loved ones appreciate every kind of effort you are willing to make. Still, it is better to be direct with them and ask what they need.
Everyone has a unique experience of a healing journey. Instead of gathering information from outside sources, discuss with your loved ones how they expect you to help them and in what ways.
For instance, they can ask you to cook them a meal, pay their bills, help their kids, etc. Sometimes, they can even ask you to let them rest.
There might be chances that what you know from online sources is different from what they need.
Don’t Assume Things
Many people try to relate with patients by telling them about their healing journeys. Every person perceives things differently; some people have a higher immunity level than others.
When your loved ones try to communicate about their disease, be all ears. Don’t interrupt them with statements like “Yeah! I can understand” or “I have gone through this.”
Be a good listener and don’t assume how they feel. You cannot share their experience even if you had the same disease in the past; their perspective or degree of disease severity makes all the difference.
For instance, patients of different stages of cancer cannot make comparisons to each other depending on their physical health conditions and perception.
Be Patient
The news of a loved one being affected by a chronic disease is not a challenge for them only; it is also your trial. It would help if you had patience, empathy, and the strength to deal with the patients.
How you behave with your loved ones when they become depressed and lose hope makes all the difference. Sometimes, it becomes frustrating when you care for them and what they do is miss their appointments and show carelessness while taking their medicines.
You may become exhausted being a caretaker of a loved one and say some harsh words. Apologize to them if you have crossed a line, and be careful next time.
Final Thoughts
The most important thing that you need to understand is that you can positively impact the patient’s recovery even with your just presence.
Show your loved ones that you are always there for them and won’t give up. It isn’t going to be easier for you too, but you can make it much more enduring for them when they know they are not alone in all this.
Comments are closed.