The Importance of Retaining Hope With COPD
If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you know the ability to adapt is crucial to your health. COPD may cause you to face various obstacles, but if you've found yourself losing hope because of these challenges, know that many people with COPD have regained control and live life to the fullest. Living a happy and healthy life is possible; through pulmonary maintenance programs, peer connections, and strengthening your stress threshold, you can lead a normal life with COPD.
Managing COPD
The first step towards taking your life back is ensuring your COPD is properly managed. Proper management includes medical therapy, taking part in a smoking cessation program if you’re a smoker, and participating in pulmonary rehabilitation. Managing COPD is a process, and if you fall behind in one of these areas it’s easy to feel as though you’ll never get on track.
When you take part in medical therapy you get more than the health benefits that come along with treatment. A nurse can be an excellent source for rebuilding your hope; they’ve likely cared for others with COPD and helped them through their struggles. They have seen firsthand that with the right management methods, your COPD can be effectively managed.
The Pulmonary Maintenance Program
The pulmonary maintenance program for COPD is one way people with this condition create new hope. The program entails between four and six weeks of exercise training, often accompanied by education on exercise techniques and the benefits they hold for your COPD. This program has been proven to improve both the mental and physical wellbeing of people with COPD, as well as improving their quality of life. It also helps reduce dyspnea and the length of hospital stays.
While the program lasts for between four and six weeks, the benefits are long-lasting. The benefits of the pulmonary maintenance program last approximately nine months with participation at least once per month. Most professionals working the pulmonary maintenance program for COPD patients suggest that the exercise routine is done at least once per week, but three times each week for optimal results.
Maximizing the Pulmonary Maintenance Program’s Benefits
While you’ll feel an increase in your overall health and a decrease in you COPD side effects upon completion of the program, you may worry that the drug will wear off. However, you can extend the benefits well beyond that by utilizing the techniques and tips you learn while taking part in the program. Simple exercises done at home are said to extend the program’s benefits, and you can continue them for the rest of your life. The physical improvement you’ll note upon completion of the program will build your confidence and help you regain your hope — benefits like these go beyond medications.
Connecting With Others
Connecting with other people with COPD is a great way to build your self-esteem. It’s difficult when you feel as if no one truly understands what you’re going through — many sufferers feel the same way. Contrary to their expectations, these people found hope through connections with people who share their challenges, accomplishments, and tips and tricks for managing COPD. There are support groups, but if there isn’t one in your local area, the Internet offers a wide-array of forums and other groups you can join to connect with others.
Reducing Stress
Feelings of helplessness are associated with high levels of stress. Learning to relax is extremely important. One quick and effective stress reduction technique is deep breathing; this is a simple technique. When you have free time, close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose, hold for two seconds, and slowly release through your mouth. Repeat this process until you begin to feel your body and mind relax. You may be surprised by how effective this method is.
There’s no reason to lose hope when there are so many ways to gain it back, and live your life to the fullest. Try these techniques, even if you don’t think they’ll work. In just a few weeks you will start feeling better, and you will grow stronger as time goes by.