Stress and Challenges with Hepatitis C

Stress and challenges can come in all shapes and sizes with hepatitis C and liver disease. They can be similar, yet different, for every person and their family.

Common stressors with hep C

Hepatitis C can mean a whole host of challenges. Stress can come from many places, including:

• Emotional stress with diagnosis, treatment, or recovery
• Medical: Finding the right doctor and developing your healthcare team, fighting through the healthcare system
• Dealing with insurance, or even not having insurance
• Finances
• Relationship difficulties; Lack of support
• Fear: Being afraid of the what-if’s, the future, and details of treatment or recovery

Dealing with stress and other challenges

These are just a few examples of stressors and challenges that can be there. But, just as there are challenges, there are also productive and proactive ways to deal with them. We all experience stress, the difference comes with how we deal with them.

Choices

Instead of focusing on the challenge or obstacle, don’t allow the challenge to be a roadblock or stopping point toward moving forward with good health decisions. Don’t allow your emotions to be in charge of decisions, actions, and your attitude. Focus on options, the solution, and the action steps you need to take to overcome the challenge.

Whenever I’m faced with a challenge and dealing with stress, I personally rely on my faith and prayer, asking for God’s help. I ask Him to help me see the situation and the solution from His perspective and give me the attitude and strength I need to take action.

Mindset

A shift in your mental mindset needs to take place. We face a choice when dealing with stress and challenges. We can choose victim or victor mentality. A victim mindset is a negative approach, often based in fear and hopelessness. Fear of the what-if’s, that can leave us in a depressed state, stopping us in our tracks from seeing solutions. Victims allow their emotions to be in control, which in reality, is out of control.

On the other hand, a victor mindset is a positive approach, that sees the facts, but does not allow emotions to be in control of our decisions and actions. Victors are problem solvers, looking for solutions and options to overcome the challenge. Victors are hopeful and look for the good in the situation while learning from mistakes and doing what it takes to promote change. Victor’s are proactive.

My advice

We all deal with stress and challenges. We even fall into the pit of a down mindset from time to time; The key is getting up, dusting ourselves off and deciding how we’re going to handle stress and approach the challenge (victim or victor).

Don’t allow the stress and challenges with hepatitis C to get the best of you. You are a victor, an overcomer! How do you handle stress and challenges with hepatitis C?