Is It Lupus? - Lupus: Not A Simple Disease

Dealing With Emotional Impact of Lupus

Dealing with a chronic disease like lupus can be hard on the emotions. You might think that your friends, family, and coworkers do not understand how you feel. Sadness and anger are common reactions.

Limited Energy

People with lupus have limited energy and must manage it wisely. Ask your health care team about ways to cope with fatigue. Most people feel better if they manage their rest and work and take their medicine. If you’re depressed, medicine and counseling can help.

More Tips

Other tips for dealing with fatigue include:

• Pay attention to your body. Slow down or stop before you’re too tired.
• Learn to pace yourself. Spread out your work and other activities.
• Don’t blame yourself for your fatigue. It’s part of the disease.
• Consider support groups and counseling. They can help you realize that you’re not alone. Group members teach one another how to cope.
• Consider other support from your family as well as faith-based and other community groups.

Staying Healthy

It’s true that staying healthy is harder when you have lupus. You need to pay close attention to your body, mind, and spirit. Having a chronic disease is stressful. People cope with stress differently. Some approaches that may help are:

• Staying involved in social activities.
• Practicing techniques such as meditation and yoga.
• Setting priorities for spending time and energy.