How to Stay Positive After a Medical Diagnosis
If you have received a medical diagnosis you did not expect, or one that weighs on you, it is difficult to think of much else beyond the words that your provider has just delivered to you. The rest of the words get lost. While there might not be a magic solution to whatever you might be dealing with, there are some things you can do to stay positive throughout your experience. Please continue reading to learn more.
Empower Yourself with Information
One of the main factors in whether or not you are able to deal with staying positive after diagnosis is whether you have the necessary information to take on this medical challenge. The process starts at your appointment with your provider when you receive the information. It may be impossible, but if you can, try to focus on what your provider is saying. If it is too much, say as much. Ask your provider to write everything down.
Beyond that, you need to conduct research on your own. However, there is a major caveat here: Be careful what you consume online. Only go to trusted sources for medical advice. TikTok and Facebook are not ideal. Neither is ChatGPT. While these platforms have a lot of information, not all of it is credible and can lead you in the wrong direction regarding your health.
Find Reliable Medical Care
The next thing you need to do is find reliable medical care. The place where you received your diagnosis might be the right place for you. However, there may be specialty centers located elsewhere that will better serve your unique needs. Ask your provider for referrals and contact your insurance company to make sure anyone you see is within your network.
Working with a patient advocate might be the right path for you to take. A patient advocate will help you with a wide range of needs, including understanding your billing and speaking to specialists on your behalf to schedule appointments. Ask your provider or hospital if they have a patient advocate. If not, your insurance company might offer this service. Another option is to search for one here. Once again, only use reputable organizations when you need care and assistance.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Your feelings in the aftermath of an unsettling diagnosis are real. They are yours to have, and yours to feel. Even though other people have likely gone through what you are dealing with, you have never had this experience. It is perfectly okay for you to take some time and feel miserable. That is normal. What is happening to you might be life-altering, and that is a lot to handle.
At some point, however, you will need to take a breath and move forward. Your life will never be the same, but you can manage your feelings. You may need help, and when you do, be sure to ask for it.
Lean on Your Family and Friends
During difficult times, it is helpful to reach out to your network of close family and friends. These are the people who help you with school pickup or carpooling. They are the ones you have known for most of your life, and you keep showing up for one another.
Talk with your trusted friends and family members and ask them for help. Be very specific with what you need. If you need a ride to the doctor on a specific date with a precise pickup time, ask for exactly that. If you need some help cooking meals after a medical procedure, ask if someone can set up a meal delivery. You would do the same for them.
Join a Support Group
Sometimes, the best support comes from people who are going through the exact same thing as you. Talk with your provider or patient advocate to inquire about support groups that center around your diagnosis. There might even be a group conveniently in the same location where you are receiving treatment.
If you feel that you need to put on a brave face for your partner or other family members, and even for your friends, you will find that a support group is a place where you do not have to make excuses or say everything is ok. You can be mad. You can be angry. You can ask the big question of why without anyone trying to fix you or give you advice. The people sitting in that room with you will listen without judgment and simply understand.
Decline Unsolicited Advice
Wherever there are people, there will be unsolicited advice. In today’s climate of misinformation and disinformation, it is best to have a few stock phrases in your proverbial tool belt so you can counter seemingly well-meaning individuals. There will be people who hear of your diagnosis and reach out via social media, text, email, phone, in person, and in passing.
They will share stories of their cousin’s daughter who had a similar (but not really) situation and then relay how X, Y, or Z helped her. They will tell you about a cure-all with the latest essential oil that cured their hairdresser’s friend. And on it goes.
Think of a few phrases you can say to shut people down, if you so choose. Try these out: “Thank you for the information, but I’ll stick to science.” “Interesting, I’ll be working with my doctor on this.” “Hmm, my doctor and I already have a plan.” “I’m glad that worked for them, I have my own plans.”
From there, log on to your social media feeds and unsubscribe from anything or anyone that does not serve you or provide you joy. If you become stressed whenever you read your uncle’s rants about whatever is going on in the world, you do not have to unfollow him, but you can hide his posts. The point here is to take care of yourself.
You might not feel too positive after receiving the news about an unwelcome diagnosis, but you will get where you need to be. With time and the care and support of the important people in your life, you can move forward with the goal of being your best self.
