I recently learned something shocking about my family–I alluded to bits and pieces of it last week in one of my posts about gratitude, although it’s more complicated than I knew at the time…  It got me thinking about how one handles troubling news.

When I first was told I had arthritis, I didn’t believe it.  I think I was probably told that I have arthritis five times before I actually let it in.  Hearing that you’re sick is shocking.  It’s troubling to hear that you’ll be sick for the rest of your life.  More than that though, it changes how you view yourself, in your own mind, in the context of your family and relationships; and it also can change how your family and friends see you.   But initially, it’s just shocking.

When you’re shocked or frightened, your mind immediately goes to fight or flight.  For some people, that means a sort of frantic problem solving mode - how can I fix this?  What did I do wrong?

You just have to breathe.  Breathe and remind yourself that you’ve been okay until now, you’ll be okay tomorrow.  You’re allowed to be upset, disappointed, frustrated, etc.  Feel what you’re feeling but keep a progressive perspective.  Remember you’ll be ok.  Keep telling yourself over and over and over again, until you believe it.

What else can you do?