Hepatitis Help - Coping With Hepatitis C

Following a diagnosis of Hepatitis C, there are a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. The first will be to start a treatment program, which will be something that you will talk about with your health care provider. Just as significant as what drug therapy you will use, the level of your viral load, and whether you will need a liver biopsy, is how you are going to carry on with your life.

hepatitis

A patient must not let his or herself stop living because of such a diagnosis. After all, a serious liver disease may take twenty to thirty years to turn into a problem for from the time of diagnosis; but you must begin to face the future now.

HEPATITIS

A good place to start is with your mental health. No matter how you contracted the Hepatitis C virus there is no way to go back in time and redo it. Reproaching yourself will not make this better. Whether it happened as a result of something you did, like injecting recreational drugs, or things that were done to you, like blood a transfusion containing tainted blood, you need to focus on getting on with your life in the most positive way you can.

A few ways to go about doing this would include confiding in people you feel secure will be supportive. A close circle of the friends and family who can be there for you through this will benefit you. If you consider yourself religious, then you may find support through your religious leader. Look for support groups or chats rooms so you can talk to others who will know exactly what you are going through.

Hepatitis C can make you quite tired, and if you are going through drug therapy treatment, this will also tire you. That is why sleeping and eating well is important. If you need a nap, go ahead and take one; it does not have to be a long one to do its job. Eating a nourishing diet is so important, even if you don't feel particularly hungry, you should make certain to eat regularly.

This means having well balanced meals which include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Drinking lots of water is important to help your system hydrated, as well. You shouldn't take any type of vitamin supplements without consulting your health care provider, as they interfere with your other medications. Too much of a good thing can be harmful as well. The way you eat can improve your liver by encouraging the production of new liver cells.

It may seem obvious, but keep away from consuming alcohol in any form. You are suffering from a liver disease, and alcohol causes liver disease. This should tell you something; namely, that it is not good for your present condition. It could also increase the possibility of liver disease leading to liver cancer. Another obvious one, but do not smoke or use illegal drugs at this time either.

You will find that making these lifestyles changes is not really that difficult, and overall will make you feel better. You quickly will see that you are doing the right thing, when you follow these simple rules. You really can have a full and constructive life with only the most basic of changes.

Hepatitis Help - Coping With Hepatitis C

HEPATITIS

Ways of Coping With an Alcoholic in a Loving Manner

At times it seems hopeless when coping with an addict. An alcoholic can turn our lives upside down if we allow them to. It's important for us to learn how to detach, but to also be able to detach with love. It is equally important to know how to set boundaries to protect ourselves from the negative effects the problem drinker can have on our lives. Finding a healthy balance between loving the alcoholic and hating the addiction takes time.

alcoholics anonymous big book

When coping with dysfunctional situations we can easily find ourselves loosing control of our emotions, thoughts and the words that come out of our mouths. I want to specifically focus on how we can better control what we say to the problem drinker. It's OK to have a bad thought, but when we react by saying things that are mean and degrading, then we have to deal with a flood of negative emotions.

ALCOHOLIC

There is a three step process that works really well when an alcoholic does or says something to get me upset. Here's what I do. I shut up, step back and smile. After doing all three, I then take a moment to analyze if what I have to say should even leave the lips of my mouth.

The way I determine if I should respond to the thought that I am having is I run it through a filter that works like this. I ask myself three questions. Is what I have to say necessary, is it kind or is it true? If the thought doesn't pass the test, then it never leaves my lips.

If we truly want to love an alcoholic, this is one of the most effective ways of coping with the difficult things they say to us. By not blasting them out of the water with a flood of anger, three things will happen. We will argue less, experience less guilt and not have to cope with feelings of shame because of something awful we said.

Now these tips need to be integrated with understanding that an alcoholic is really very ill with an addiction. They would not normally act or do many of the offensive things that they do if they were not wrapped up in their daily habit of getting blasted. If we can learn to have compassion on the person and hate the addiction rather than the addict, then we stand a chance of coping with an alcoholic in a loving manner.

Now, I am not saying in any way that we should just accept everything they say or do because they are ill. We still need to incorporate boundaries to protect ourselves from the destructive things they say and do. Here's the key though, we need to learn how to set boundaries in a loving way. As we learn how to have more control over the things we say, we can then say what we mean to the alcoholic without saying it in a mean way.

Coping with an alcoholic in a loving way is something that takes time to master. We have to learn how to do this from people who actively use methods that work. What I have shared with you is only a drop in the bucket compared to all that I know on this subject. It has taken me many years and several thousand support group meetings to learn how to effectively cope with an alcoholic in a loving way.

Ways of Coping With an Alcoholic in a Loving Manner

ALCOHOLIC

Coping With an Alcoholic Who Lies Constantly

How can you tell when an alcoholic is lying? Their lips are moving. Coping with the lying nature of the problem drinker is better done through accepting the fact that lies are a way of life for most substance abusers.

alcoholics anonymous big book

Why do they lie so much? Let's face it; they are living in a world of denial. It's really not important to understand why they do this, just accept the fact and leave them alone when they twist the truth.

ALCOHOLIC

The sooner you can accept that lying is a part of the alcoholic's lifestyle the better you will be able to cope. Dealing with someone who is not telling the truth is frustrating because it causes us to want to argue with them that they are not telling the truth.

When we stop confronting them, then there will be a lot less finger pointing going on.

When we learn that we do not have to try and prove to them that we know they are telling us a lie, then our frustration level will go down. The truth of the matter is that their frustration level will go down as well. In return, all will be at peace in a dysfunctional kind of way. I can promise you that there will be a whole lot less arguing going on too.

What is the point of confronting an alcoholic who is lying anyway? You know they are just going to deny the truth and stand up for the false reality that they perceive to be truth.

Alcoholic liars come in every shape and form, from a teenage son, daughter, spouse, mom, dad, grandmother to a grandfather. When they are caught up in the grip of their addiction, they will have no respect for anyone, including themselves. If you can believe this, they really don't want to be they way that they are. It's an addiction that takes even the most respectable human beings into some of the shadiest places on earth.

The alcoholic lies about drinking because of the guilt and shame that accompanies their lifestyle. Have you ever know anyone who wanted to be an alcoholic when they grew up? Of course not; no one sets a goal to be addicted to some type of drug or substance.

The best way of coping (or, "dealing) with this problem is to just accept the truth and let them tell their lies without you pretending to be the private investigator who knows what really happened. Just let them live their dysfunctional life and you enjoy yours without the additional fight for the day. Unfortunately, lying is a comfortable way of life for the alcoholic. If you're going to cope with it, you must kick back and get comfortable with them not telling the truth as well.

Coping With an Alcoholic Who Lies Constantly

ALCOHOLIC