Lovego Weekly report--Coping with COPD Depression and Anxiety

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Coping with COPD Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are the common psychological characteristics for people who suffer from the COPD. Studies show depression and anxiety can increase the number of flare-ups you experience and increase your risk of requiring hospital treatment for your COPD. And the percentage of COPD patients are 10%-96% for anxiety, 16%-88% for depression. They are obviously higher than normal people.

As high COPD incidence and high mortality, longer duration, heavy economic burden on patients, seriously affect the ability of patients to work and quality life of patients, these make the patient been negative easily. They will become worry or panic. We know for COPD patients,almost any activity can lead to breathlessness—walking, socializing with friends, even eating—these further add to depression and anxiety.

These two negative feeling always worsen the syptoms of COPD, to feel better,pls try to take the following steps:

Get medical help. Both depression and anxiety can be treated. When you feel anxiety or depression, you can go and talk to your doctor how you are feeling.
From the doctors,they may prescribe an antidepressant for you, it will be helpful; Some patients may have took it;
From the psychotherapist, they will help you to gain an understanding of how to respond to things that allows you to cope better with depression;
From the behavioral therapist, they also can teach important relaxation and breathing techniques to you.People with COPD tend to breathe shallowly, which can lead to rapid breathing, lightheadedness and anxiety. But you can learn to breathe more deeply by inhaling, letting the belly fill, expanding the diaphragm, then exhaling, relaxing the stomach.

Join Support groups. There are many groups which offer education of the desease and provide access to others with the same situation. Everyone diagnosed COPD will have a bad time some day, bad feeling, losing hope, not confident with the life, ect. Join the groups such as in the real life,on the facebook, some forums, you can see how others battle with the COPD,how they share the daily life,ect. You can gain courage from them

Pulmonary rehabilitation and exercise. Pulmonary rehabilitation sessions can offer both exercise and information. An expert said, “We talk to patients about thinking creatively about what they can and can’t do.For instance, if a patient loves to garden, he could have a family member help build the garden off the ground so he won’t have to bend over, which can limit breathing. “It’s part of reframing your response to COPD.We will introduce more in the following reports.

Exercising regularly. Working with your exercise trainer who familiar with COPD. Creat a plan to do the exercise, insists on it. After a couple of months, you will feel better

Do things you enjoy. Even though your COPD symptoms may make it harder to participate in many activities, it is important to find things you can do that you enjoy. Taking time out for yourself can help lift your mood.

For a self test the depression and anxiety,you can take Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS),Pls visit the last blog.

If you are experiencing any of the following thoughts and symptoms, you may be depressed as well :

· Sadness

· Anxiety

· Emptiness

· Guilt

· Worthlessness

· Helplessness

· Hopelessness

· Irritability

· Disinterest in activities that were once enjoyable

· Fatigue

· Trouble concentrating

· Sleep problems

· Appetite changes

· Thoughts about death or suicide

· Unexplained physical symptoms

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