Coping With COPD: A Tutorial on Life Skills
A diagnosis of COPD for you or a loved one can seem like devastating news. A life with COPD is different than a life without COPD and coping with these changes is a significant challenge to overcome. The good news is that people with COPD continue to live active, full lives. The following pages are meant to be a source of information that will help you to better understand and manage your life with COPD.
When you have completed each page, click on the link at the bottom of the page to take you the next page on the list. To get the most out of these pages, we recommend that you have a printer, or blank paper and a pen or pencil.
We will start by comparing your life before and after you were diagnosed with COPD and think about what those changes mean.
Feeling sad is natural. Learn how to effectively deal with this emotion and avoid the common problem of turning normal sadness into more self-destructive feelings.
What does it feel like to wear oxygen? How can oxygen help me? What new problems does supplemental oxygen create?
You are not the only one affected by your disease, you and your family are in it together. Learning to accept their help will improve your whole family’s quality of life.
Learn the difference between short and long term problems and how you and your family can best respond to each type.
Symptoms of COPD can affect your outlook on life. Unfortunately, some medications prescribed for COPD can as well. Learn about some possible medication side effects and what to do about them.
