"I've just been diagnosed with a serious condition, and I'm scared! I've been told that stress will exacerbate this condition, which is a bitter irony, considering how much stress this diagnosis itself is causing me. I'd like to be 'handling everything right', but it's hard. I'm not sleeping well, I can't stop thinking about what will happen, and I'm stressed all the time. Help!
Facing a serious illness can be frightening and very stressful! You may feel isolated as well, though you are not alone. A significant number of people think stress contributes to the diagnosis of a serious illness.
A Stephen Minister would be interested in journeying with you during this time of stress and lend spiritual Christian based support as you travel through this difficult situation. You may also want to get with a good support group, if available for people suffering from or experiencing feelings that are similar to yours. Also, getting to talk about your experience in a welcoming environment may help a lot.
Some basic de-stressing techniques that can help you to get your body out of stress mode (turn off your fight-or-flight response, which may be chronically activated at this point, understandably), and help your body maintain a healthier balance. You may want to research information on breathing exercises, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and other stress relievers.
Some have found that maintaining an ongoing journaling practice. Processing your feelings on paper, as well as planning new courses of action, has been shown to have healing properties, and can help change your outlook as well.
