Johns Hopkins Health Alert
COPD Support From Those Who Know Best
People living with COPD face many challenges and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless, or alone. A COPD support group can help.
Finding an experienced physician to treat you or a loved one for lung disease is an important step. But however well trained, few doctors are likely to know what it really feels like to try to get through the day with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer. The experts who can give that kind of advice are fellow COPD patients and their families. Support groups, both in person and online, are good sources for information about anything from how to find a caring physician to tips for traveling with supplemental oxygen.
People with COPD often say that one of the worst aspects of their illness is the feeling that they have lost control over their health. Having COPD can cause depression or anxiety, and it’s easy to withdraw from other people. By staying at home, COPD patients become more sedentary, which increases psychological distress. By joining a support group, participants gain a sense of control over their disease and enter a virtuous cycle: They get out of the house, meet other people, and become motivated to take action. Then they start to feel better -- psychologically and physically.
COPD support groups exist in many communities. The American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org) sponsors Better Breathers Clubs throughout the country, which may include adults with asthma. Also, many hospitals start support groups for people with chronic lung disease.
Often these groups are run by a respiratory therapist, who can educate group members and their families about ways to live well with COPD. Groups may invite medical professionals to share their expertise on topics including nutrition, exercise, breathing techniques, new treatments, stress and depression, and medical equipment. The education patients receive in these groups may help them to avoid preventable hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
Posted in Lung Disorders on January 17, 2008
Reviewed September 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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After I got out of the hospital, I went into a rehab hospital for a week and then into physical therapy outpatient for 3 months. From there, I immediately went to pulmonary rehab--this is all over a course of 14 months as I am still doing pulmonary rehab. If I had gone home from the hospital, I firmly believe I would be in a nursing home bedridden or dead. Without the support of the Docs, nurses, therapists, family (have 5 children and 8 grandchildren), friends, and most of all, God and prayers, I would not be able to do the things I'm doing now--I feel better and can do more physically now after diagnosis then I could for several years before I was forced to go to the ER and was diagnosed with COPD--DO NOT GIVE UP--hard work, some pain, exercise, and learning to slow down each day will make you thankful for each day you have. Sincerely, Jennie Collins
Posted by: Jennie Collins | May 10, 2009 9:57 AM