Dealing With Lupus At The Emotional Level

Lupus has an autoimmune and chronic character, which affects various organs, generates inflammation and pain and damages the tissues. The fact that it is an autoimmune disease, means that the organism's healthy tissues are attacked by the immune system as if they were viruses or bacteria. Lupus may damage your blood cells, kidneys, heart and lungs.

You must take the proper treatment, so you may consult more than one specialist; you may obtain management plans from a rheumatologist, a nutritionist, a dermatologist, a psychologist and an occupational therapist. Each one of them will help you on different aspects of the disease. Lupus must be permanently monitored, so don't let yourself fooled by a period of remission.

Lupus is difficult to deal with on the emotional level. You may feel sad, depressed or angry. You may even feel that you are not understood by the people around you.

This disease leaves you only little energy. Learn how to deal with your constant fatigue. Seek medical advice on both this problem and the emotional aspect of the disease. You should:

* Listen to your body's needs; do not oversolicit yourself.
* Get support from your family and faith – based or other types of groups.
* Not consider yourself responsible for feeling tired.
* Rest sufficiently.
* Attend support groups and seek counseling.

Try to have a balanced life, by satisfying your body, spirit and mind's needs. You are under a lot of stress, generated by the presence of the disease. You should learn how to manage this stress. There are some ways to achieve that:

* Be socially active.
* Use wisely your time and energy.
* Relax by means of yoga and meditation.

Physical exercises are helpful for people with lupus. The most suitable types are:

* Strengthening exercises, which make your muscles stronger so that they can provide support to the articulations affected by the disease. One such exercise is weight – lifting.
* Aerobic or endurance exercises are good for your heart and blood vessels, they ameliorate overall functions and help you get control of your weight. Such exercises are jogging or brisk walking.
* Range – of – motion exercises make your articulations stronger, maintain their normal function and decrease their rigidity. General flexibility is improved by this type of exercises.

You should discuss with your doctor what type of exercises is appropriate for you.

Inform yourself on your condition as much as possible. This will make you more active and confident.

In case you are woman and consider starting a family, discuss with your health care team composed or doctors, nurses and physical therapists. The cooperation between the doctor that treats your lupus and your obstetrician is vital for you to receive the best treatment plan.