Step One in Becoming an Empowered Patient - Video
In my last post I talked about what it is to be an e-patient. These are the people who are engaged in their own healthcare - they are empowered patients. But if your relationship with your doctor is more passive, how do you become empowered?
How to Become an Empowered Patient
It's important to remember that becoming an empowered patient is a change for your doctor as well as you.
You can find Natasha Tracy on Facebook or GooglePlus or @Natasha_Tracy on Twitter.
APA Reference
Tracy, N.
(2012, May 28). Step One in Becoming an Empowered Patient - Video, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, December 18 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2012/05/step-one-in-becoming-an-empowered-patient-video
Author: Natasha Tracy
For the last 3 years all I've done is barely survive. I'd work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, then come home and sleep in the clothes I went to work in on the couch til about midnight then I'd get up and go to bed on a bare mattress (I couldn't be bothered to make the bed) and there I'd sleep again til it was time to go to work and of course I'd sleep almost my entire weekend away . I gained alot of weight living this way. On any given week I would shower and wash my hair maybe once or twice. Dishes piled up all over the place, laundry climbed the wall, etc. I was deeply depressed and beginning to feel like there was no hope left for me even though I was taking medication for my bipolar 1 disorder. I had no energy or interest to do anything. Slowly and painfully I was dying so why not hasten it I thought. I had nothing to look forward to so I thought about suicide almost daily. I was deeply in debt. A credit counsellor told me I needed to get a part time job, but how was I going to do that if I could barely lift my head off the pillow
Then slowly over the last couple of months things have started to change as I began to reach out for help
I took some CBT classes through a mental health association that helped to turn around some of my negative thinking. I feel better now more days than not
A vocational counselor at a mental health clinic I go to sat with me, one on one, for 2 1/2 hours, and helped me put a résumé together for free. I'm current looking for a part time job
An activity coach (free through a local university) got me out swimming and up cleaning my apartment again. I've even started to repaint my apartment. Four years ago I had bought all the paint I needed but had only managed to get about a quarter of the painting done, the rest ofthe walls still had spackle all over them.
I was so embarrassed before by the state of my apt that I isolated and wouldn't let others in. Now I'm more comfortable having people over
I am beginning to realize there is hope after all but only if you are willing to make the necessary changes and hang in there til you see some results... I'm also finding it's so much easier to move forward with a little help from others than it is to try to do everything on my own. I used to think it was a sign of weakness to ask for help but not so much anymore