August 15, 2011

Coping with Lupus

Coping with Lupus - SocialSuccessfully managing lupus starts with awareness: awareness of your particular symptoms and how lupus affects you; awareness of what you can do to prevent flares, and what you can do if you experience a flare; and awareness of the best coping strategies and techniques to reduce stress.

However, awareness by itself isn’t the complete solution. You will want to plan and act in ways that limit or avoid the burdens, discomforts, and difficulties that lupus can cause, so the illness does not stop you from doing things you enjoy in life.

Here are some resources that may help you find ways to cope with the disease. 


Lupus and You
Let’s talk about how you feel about you. It is important to understand the significant difference between viewing yourself as a person with a chronic illness and viewing yourself as a chronically ill person.

Lupus on the Job
The type of work schedule someone with lupus can accommodate is variable. Many people with lupus are able to work a full-time job, others find they have to cut back to part-time. This section discusses how you deal with your lupus in a work environment.

Dealing with Stress: Balancing Family, Friends, Activities and Lupus 

November 2010 15 Questions with Ms. Cindy Coney 

Social Wellness, Making Connections and Helping Others Understand What You Go through with Lupus
November 2009 webchat transcript with Ms. Cindy Coney 


Learn more about Coping with Lupus

Share your experience! What strategies have you used to cope with lupus? What has helped you balance and manage your disease? We'd love to hear from you. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have had SLE for 20 years. I found as I got older I got stressed easier. I was tired by mid afternoon. I had to stop FT work and go to PT. You need your rest. I feel guilty but shouldn't as I look like a beautiful picture of great health but I know people look at me & think "there isn't anything wrong with her!" I developed Chronic lymphoctic leukemia/lymphoma in 2006. I was told this is common in lupus pts. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I have had a hip replaced and after 4 weeks in to it I fractured the femur....it "blew up" as the Dr. put it. I am in a lot of pain always as I need my left hip done. It took my 3 tries to get disability and I hired an attorney and was approved. I feel lupus pts are not taken seriously. It is a painful disease that people can not see! I just rest when I feel I need to. I stay away from stressful situations and try not to run myself down.

Anonymous said...

i was in the hospital because lupus is starting to hit mt brain. They wanted to admit me for further studies. my dr. comes in discharges me and takes all my meds away. she said i looked great but yet i could not recognize my own family. Time to switch to a new DR. i have also been denied disability but the lawyers are fighting it now. I just hate having to start llover gain. it is the most frusrating disease i will ever have to battle. but i will not give up because i do matter even when im sick but know one cn see it.