Myeloproliferative Disorders Support
What you may be feeling
People with MPDs can themselves coping with many stressors.
MPDs are chronic illnesses which can be life-threatening. If you are facing one of these disorders, you may feel depressed or fluctuate into and out of depression.
The impact of loss
Although some patients face less difficult situations, others find themselves coping with a huge and increasing set of potential losses – loss of autonomy, loss of physical control, emotional loss. Simply living with the threat of premature death can be a major source of anxiety for some patients. This threat can at times cause people to behave in strange and irrational ways.
Stresses you may feel
If you have an MPD, you may experience a variety of stresses, including:
- Uncertainty about the future
- Difficult treatment options
- Unpleasant symptoms
- Medication side effects
- Loss of control
- Changes in self image
- Potentially difficult pregnancies
- Possible inability to have children
- Problems maintaining relationships
- Threat to life
Changes over time
You may find that at certain times in your life you may feel less able to cope with this chronic illness. This can happen if you need to change your treatment plan, if you find that your condition is becoming worse, or if you are going through other events and transitions in your life.
What you can do
These are normal feeling for anyone with a chronic illness. You may find it helpful to talk with a friend or an MPD buddy, to talk with a psychologist, or to write down your feelings in a journal. Contact us at info@mpdvoice.org.uk if you need more information.
Feelings of stress, even loss, are normal for anyone with an MPD.