Last month, I was excited to attend the annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) conference in San Diego, CA, one of the largest lung-related conferences in the world. It was an amazing experience (if a little overwhelming). However, I think one of the most important portions came right at the start.
The keynote speaker was a physician named William Flanary. Dr. Flanary is an ophthalmologist by training, so he may seem like an odd choice to speak at a pulmonary conference. He has quite a story, though. He is not only a two-time cancer survivor but survived a sudden heart attack in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the middle of a May 2020 night, his wife woke up to what sounded like terrible snoring. It was actually Will gasping for breath after his heart had stopped.
Through the superhuman efforts of his wife (who performed CPR alone for ten minutes) and the emergency medical team, he survived. But, he told us, that was far from the end of that story. For months after, he was afraid to sleep alone, or even to BE alone. He was often anxious throughout the day. His wife had similar feelings. For example, she started checking on their kids to make sure THEY were still breathing at night. They were dealing with what he calls “the aftershocks,” but is usually called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD does not always show itself in obvious ways like anxiety or triple-checking things. Sometimes you only see a small bit of it. The rest is hidden under the surface, like an iceberg. Here is an example from my own life: Earlier this year, one of my kids was in a rollover car crash. They were physically fine, but for quite some time afterward, they just were not quite…right. It took weeks just to get through grieving their beloved first car, which they had just paid off. But even after that, they came home from work one day and started crying. Someone at work that day had asked if they were OK, and it made them take stock. They realized all their emotions had felt dulled over the past few weeks. Work problems did not seem important. They were not having as much fun with their hobbies and previous interests. Everything just seemed weirdly muted. Worse, they were not sure when things would improve. They were not even sure they could.
Fortunately, they did. There are a lot of different ways to both manage PTSD and cope with less severe stress levels. Physical activity is often listed as one of the top ways. For people with COPD, it has the added benefit of helping your lungs as well. Similarly, mindful breathing exercises can also help reduce stress, like our friend pursed-lip breathing. Journaling, medication, or other reflection-based activities can help you get to the root of your stress feelings and reframe them into something more positive. And this is one case where laughter can truly be the best medicine!
Sometimes, though, it is not enough to try and work through things on your own. That is when it becomes time to call in a professional counselor or other mental health professional. These folks are trained to tease out exactly what the core of the problem is, help you identify ways to cope with or overcome negative emotions, and develop skills to help reduce the feelings of stress in the future. In our culture, it can be very hard to admit that you need to call in backup. But it can also be the most important call you ever make.
The COPD Foundation is proud to offer resources to help people cope with stress and trauma. In our downloads library, you will find Coping With COPD in our Guides for Better Living series, available in eight languages. On the video side of things, you can watch my interview with licensed professional counselor Gabby Davis. Gabby has many years of working not only with the COPD community but many underserved communities who deal with layers of stress every day. Gabby also did a follow-up webinar aimed at our friends on the bronchiectasis side, which really has great tips for everyone. But always remember, if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, you can always reach out for help through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s hotline, 1-800-662-4357.
Now it’s your turn! Please share with us your best tips on how to manage stress or recover from traumatic experiences. Your ideas and experiences may help someone else avoid the iceberg ahead!