Diseases and ConditionsCancers › The Limited World of Illness: Why Coping Mechanisms Are Important

In April 2012, I had surgery for a brain tumor. At first my efforts were focused on managing life, not necessarily living it.

I thought maybe the reason I got sick was to give me a wake-up call to slow down and smell the roses. How, then, can life turn out to be even more complicated, scary, stressful, and time consuming?  Perhaps my lesson with illness isn’t quite that simple.  With most of my questions unanswered and new challenges to face, I had to find ways to cope. There are three main coping mechanisms that I used. Coping mechanisms are needed when there has been trauma, whether it is from illness or another cause. They keep us from getting overwhelmed and can be a healthy part of the healing process especially if you aware of them, allow them to evolve, and use them to help you adapt to life challenges in positive, healthy ways.  Coping behaviors often start with those that help us "shut down" in order to rest, recuperate, prioritize, and re-focus and then progress toward new, positive behaviors that help us engage in life again.

Coping Mechanism 1:  I narrowed my world to only include illness management. I stopped listening to the news, forgot what was happening in the world, minimized my work, and stopped marketing and creating workshops. I limited communication to email as a way of informing my friends and loved ones of my progress and had my husband handle this for the first 6 months. I realized just recently that in order to cope with the overwhelming nature of my visual processing difficulties, my subconscious mind further narrowed my field of vision to what was right in front of me.  Too much stimulation overwhelmed my senses so a quiet environment became a must. I even isolated myself from others with the same illness (until recently). I didn’t want to hear about survival statistics or others stories in order to protect myself emotionally. I wanted to focus my thinking on being well and not fill my head with worries, concerns, and negative projections.

Please note that coping mechanism 1 is a temporary state. As you start to use other techniques and as you accept and get used to life changes you will not need the isolation and confined environment.

Coping Mechanism 2:  Therapy, support, and more support.  This includes working with a wonderful therapist who helps keep me sane and cope with the significant losses and permanent changes in my life.  Daily breathing exercises give me the quiet internal peace I need and increase my energy. Hypnotherapy keeps my mind focused on taking control of what I can control . . . myself: my choices, my decisions, my communication, my actions and what I believe.  This includes introspection on what changes I want to make in my life and deciding what is important. The support of loving family and friends is also important when coping with loss and change. They are like an anchor that helps keep us secure, loved, and sane in the midst of chaos and struggle.

Coping Mechanism 3:  Keeping life normal and creating things to look forward to.  I decided to do what I was capable of during each step of my healing process, which meant not fighting the things I couldn’t do.  As I mastered what I could do or accomplish I noticed my abilities increasing. There are some things I am still not capable of doing (like driving and reading) so I have learned to compensate for these limitations by focusing on my strengths and cultivating new skills and ways of doing things.  For example, I learned to memorize numbers so I could dial the phone and investigated electronic devices to help me with other tasks. I started to look at the calendar and find free time available to me within the constraints of my doctor visits and treatments. On these precious free days I plan fun outings, time with friends, and, even more bravely, vacations!

Coping mechanisms start as ways to contain and handle overwhelming feelings and situations and then evolve in creative ways to find support, adapt, and even thrive. This process is normal and there are times when some of the earlier techniques must be employed to keep balance and promote healing. With chronic or catastrophic illness, life has changed forever, but life can still have meaning, goals, pleasure, fun, and freedom.

© 2013, Hypnosis Concepts. Publication rights granted so long as article and byline are reprinted intact, with all links made live.

Laurie Miller is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with more than 30 years of experience helping people achieve health and happiness.  Laurie can use her training and her experience with illness to help you.  You can see Laurie in person if you live in Orange County, CA by visiting http://www.HypnosisConcepts.com or you can purchase her prerecorded hypnosis session Beyond Limitations at http://www.hypnosisconcepts.com/cds-and-mp3s/

Article By: Laurie Miller, CCH

Views: 48
Comments On The Limited World of Illness: Why Coping Mechanisms Are Important

Be the first one to comment on this article!

Your Comment
Your Name
Your Email

Your Email will not be shown with your comment

Secret Number
43210

Please type the numbers shown above into the Secret Number box.

how does the body maintain blood pressure

maintaining blood pressure

how the body maintains blood pressure

effects of CHD

how is diabetes treated

how does the body respond to high blood pressure

introduction of diabetes mellitus

how does the heart maintain blood pressure

how does body maintain blood pressure

understanding heart rate

how is blood pressure maintained

how does the body maintain normal blood pressure

how body maintains blood pressure

how long can you live with mesothelioma

introduction to diabetes mellitus

50 ways to love your liver

otolam

what maintains blood pressure

does the heart maintain blood pressure

Compare the homeostatic mechanisms that maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate

social effects of chd

signs of unhealthy eyes

Compare the homeostatic mechanisms that maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate

how to maintain blood pressure

unhealthy eyes

mechanisms that maintain blood pressure

does the heart help maintain blood pressure

mechanisms to maintain blood pressure

how do arteries aid in maintaining blood pressure

social impacts of CHD

Physiological mechanisms to maintain normal blood pressure

maintain blood pressure

how is blood pressure maintained in the body

describe the process by which the body maintains normal blood pressure

what maintains blood pressure in body

laser treatment for ear infections

how does your body maintain blood pressure

diabetes mellitus introduction

increase resistance decrease pressure

understanding your heart rate

otolam procedure

how to save eyesight

effects of CHD on health

osa ohs

how to keep a healthy prostate

what mechanisms maintain blood pressure

how the heart maintains blood pressure

how does our body maintain blood pressure

how do cataracts occur

diabetes mellitus 101