The Need For Sharing Health Problems

Support from others is invaluable in helping those with a health problem come to terms and deal with it. 

Since good health is highly prized in any society, it is often difficult to admit even to yourself that you may be ill. The difficulty is even greater if you have an ailment that substantially affects your life or lasts a considerable time. Sharing health problems is part of the process of coming to terms with what’s wrong with you and finding positive ways of dealing with it. As well as getting support for practical problems, it can help you overcome any isolation you may feel. 

True, few people really like to talk openly about their health problems. They may feel it’s not a suitable topic for discussion, or that they will bore of alienate those around them. But, it is important to be able to strike a balance between the natural desire for privacy and the need to communicate.

The way you share your particular health problem is an individual decision. If it is impossible to avoid others knowing about it, you may prefer to discuss it openly with friends and colleagues at work. This can be a good way to overcome any embarrassment they may feel; it will also give them the opportunity to offer help or support.

Or, you may want to confide only in a few trusted people, to who you can turn when you need them. What is essential is that you should not regard any illness as a guilty secret, and you should not hesitate to confide in those close to you if you feel it will help. People around someone with a long-term ailment should not pressure him or her to talk about it, but should show that they are ready to be taken into confidence and to give support. Mutual sensitivity is the key to sharing health problems.

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The first and most important person with whom you need to share any health problem is your family doctor. But some people – particularly if they fear something serious is wrong – may delay getting medical advice. They may say they do not want to bother the doctor, or that it will go away by itself.

Meanwhile, the symptoms may get worse, adding stress to the problem and possibly risking their chances of an early diagnosis and effective treatment. 

If you are afraid to visit the doctor, it may be helpful to talk over the problem with someone you know well to help allay your fears. You can also take a friend or relative with you to give moral support and to keep you company while you are waiting for the consultation. 

Establishing this kind of communication can also help during treatment. If you are unsure about something the doctor has said, it often helps to talk it over with someone so that you are prepared with the right questions next time you visit the doctor. Even so, you should always follow your doctor‘s advice, even if you are confused by it. 

It is natural that anyone diagnosed as having a long-term complaint such as diabetes of kidney trouble should feel worried and depressed. Friends and relatives can be a vital source of support, but your doctor or health visitor will be able to put you in touch with someone in a similar position who can give the benefit of experience and advice of practical details. 

Self- help groups can also be an invaluable source of support. Women with breast cancer, for example, have been greatly helped by such group discussions, not only to allay their fears before the operation but also to cope with the emotional and physical problems afterwards. Particularly with a disease that is hard to talk about openly, groups of fellow sufferers help to break down the isolation and generate confidence in the patient’s ability to deal with such a traumatic experience.

Very often, the most difficult problems to share are those connected with mental health. Such problems can range from long-standing conditions to more short-term difficulties like post-natal depression. Even though their lives and relationships may be badly affected, people with these problems are frequently unwilling to communicate with anyone. This can place great strain on their family and friends. Expert advice from a doctor of therapist will be needed, but in some cases, a self-help group can lend invaluable support.

Sharing health problems can also be extended wit good effect to other problems such as giving up smoking or losing weight. The strong collective determination of a group can help you maintain your will power and boost you morale. They can also take the pressure off friends and family, who up till then have been bearing the burden.