Dealing with diagnosis, hospital appointments, surgeries & therapies for parent carers.
Dealing with diagnosis, hospital appointments, surgeries & therapies….
As promised sharing some thoughts today as to 3 things that can support when your wellbeing is being impact by the above.
1. Often medical/therapy appointments can impact wellbeing because the journey so far has to be relived & experienced once again. Every medical appointment being asked to retell the same & often traumatising story/experience. This can be re-traumatising, triggering & utterly exhausting. It can help some parents therefore to type up the answers to those regular questions asked so as to avoid reliving the story each time. Then this can simply be shared at the beginning of the appointment. Simple but possibly hugely effective.
2. State is a powerful thing. All too often in these in medical appointments we may not be in a state that serves us. We become disconnected & that can have various practical & psychological implications.
We find ourselves CRASHing – feeling Contracted, Reactive, Analysis paralysis, separated & hating/Hitting/Hurting.
It can help to access a different state a COACH state – where you can be more generative for yourself & those around you. Using the 5 elements of COACH state, Centred, Open, Attuned, Connected & holding, can help us to reconnect, reenergise & empower us to feel a greater sense of agency in these moments. It also takes us out of ‘fight mode’ something so familiar as a parent carer but also hugely draining of energy & resource.
3. Bearing witness can be a powerful thing, often we may not fully bear witness to our own journeys. And so, doing so can be supportive. I believe this can help when it comes to a journey of diagnosis, which often feels like a roller coaster ride. You can reflect & write down your story/journey to diagnosis. What were the parts/chapters of this story? Write & read in a safe space as & when you feel ready & comfortable to. Then you might like to share with someone close so they too can bear witness, even if they shared in this experience allow then to bear witness to how this was for you & how it impacted you..
What have you found has supported you with this aspect of wellbeing as a parent carer?
Charlie x