By Justin Lindhorst
Life is stressful. On top of keeping up with daily work, school, family, and relationship dynamics, life with a chronic health condition can add additional stress leaving even the most resilient among us feeling overwhelmed.
For members of the bleeding disorder community, it’s important to understand the influence stress can have on managing health. This article explores some of the negative consequences of stress and provides helpful tips on how to manage it.
Stress can negatively impact health. It can cloud our judgment, make us forgetful, and if left unchecked, chronic stress can lead to depression. Stress causes physical changes in our bodies. There is a significant amount of research connecting chronic stress with poor health outcomes.1 Stress can be especially challenging for members of the bleeding disorder community. Research has found connections between bleeding episodes and stress.2
Many patients and caregivers can confirm this correlation through their own experiences. Ask almost any bleeding disorder community member, and they’ll recount stories of spontaneous bleeding episodes happening just before or after periods of tension or heightened emotion. For me, this meant bleeds on the first day of school, over the holidays, on my birthday, and prior to summer camp.
Stress challenges each of us in unique ways. Check out the tips below to help manage feelings of stress during times of uncertainty.
Stay Engaged with the Bleeding Disorders Community
It’s more important than ever to activate or establish a support system to manage your bleeding disorder and help deal with the stress of living with a chronic health condition. Your hemophilia treatment center and specialty pharmacy are resources you can always leverage in times of need. Both in-person and telehealth visits are a great way to maintain contact with your healthcare team and receive the clinical support you need to effectively manage your condition.
Sometimes we just need to connect with another person who understands what it’s like living with a bleeding disorder. Connecting with your peers in the community can help decrease stress and feelings of isolation.
Chapters, specialty pharmacies, and manufacturers are providing both in-person and virtual engagement opportunities to entertain, educate, and connect the community. Reach out to your local chapter or BioMatrix Regional Care Coordinator who can help connect you to resources and bleeding disorder-focused virtual programming.
Focus on Self-care
During times of heightened stress, don’t lose sight of self-care. It’s okay to take a break and focus on your own well-being. Establish a routine that includes some time dedicated just for you to relax, recharge, and center yourself. Include exercise and a healthy diet. These lifestyle factors have a tremendous impact on both physical and mental health. Take a little time each day to turn off the TV, log out from social media, and focus on whatever recharges you!
It can be challenging to focus on yourself during times of stress and uncertainty. The Mental Health Foundation offers three tips for coping with the uncertainty of the world we’re living in today: “Focus on the present, bring things that are certain back into focus, and talk to people you trust.”3 If you need a hand learning to practice mindfulness, try downloading and using a self-care app. Some top apps that focus on self-care and mindfulness include Calm, Headspace, and Reflectly. Explore the App Store for an option that suits your preference, and start making time for self-care today.
Stay on Top of Therapy
Staying on top of any routine during periods of stress can be challenging. For those living with a chronic health condition, emotional distress can lead to decreased treatment adherence.4 Effectively managing your bleeding disorder is always important, but even more so in times of stress. Keeping our bodies bleed free is of critical importance and will help reduce your short- and long-term stress levels.
In the short-term, avoiding bleeding episodes will ensure you don’t have to deal with unnecessary hospital visits. In the long-term, avoiding bleeding episodes will help protect joints, prevent arthritis, and help you avoid chronic pain. Just as apps help to promote self-care and mindfulness, there are apps and digital tools that can help you stay on top of therapy. MicroHealth Hemophilia, HemoTool, and other mobile-based apps offer treatment reminders and tools to track infusions and bleeding episodes.
Over time stress can impact health, lead to depression, and can potentially negatively impact the way you manage your bleeding disorder. Make a commitment to effectively manage stress by engaging your support system, focusing on self-care, and staying on top of your bleeding disorder therapy routine.
References
Segerstrom SC, Miller GE. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychol Bull. 2004;130(4):601-630. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601
Perrin JM, MacLean WE Jr, Janco RL, Gortmaker SL. (1996). Stress and incidence of bleeding in children and adolescents with hemophilia. The Journal of Pediatrics. Jan;128(1):82-88. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-3476(96)70431-6.
Mental Health Foundation. (2020). Looking after your mental health as we come out of lockdown. Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/coming-out-of-lockdown#coping-with-uncertainty
Gonzalez JS, Kane NS, Binko DH, Shapira A, Hoogendoorn CJ. (2016). Tangled up in blue: unraveling the links between emotional distress and treatment adherence in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc16-1657.
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