Morpheus Speaks

** Today, I am happy to introduce Dr. Ann Becker Shutte, better known as Morpheus.  Take it away, Ann!

Hi all–nice to virtually meet you. This is a first for me–sharing a guest post on a former client’s blog. However, as Scott discussed in his post about “Finding Morpheus,” the intersection of health care providers and social media is a new frontier. We are all learning as we go. And I rarely turn down the chance to talk about places where mental and physical health overlap.

As Scott mentioned, my practice specialty is helping patients and caregivers who are coping with serious illness. Now, you may have noticed that I didn’t say, “coping with diabetes” or “coping with cancer” or “coping with lupus.” That is deliberate on my part. My interest in the mental health side of coping with illness began, as it does for many, with seeing the effect of a serious illness (breast cancer in this case) on dear friends. I continued to focus on coping and cancer throughout graduate school, all the way through my dissertation.

Then I had the experience of being on the patient side of the health equation. Along the way, I recognized that many of my own emotional experiences in coping with health challenges were paralleling the experience of the cancer patients I worked with. That made me curious, so I started reading more, and being more engaged with diverse patient communities. And what I learned was this: the emotional effects of coping with serious illness seem to fall into similar categories no matter what the physical diagnosis is. When it comes to coping with health challenges, we are more alike than we are different.

Here is just a small sampling of the themes that I hear from my clients, no matter what diagnosis they are coping with:

• Uncertainty about the future.
• Concern about being a burden.
• Frustration with navigating insurance and the health care system.
• Financial stress and worry.
• Sense of isolation.
• Physical pain and challenges in daily activities.
• Sense that life is controlled or limited by physical health.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Concern about impact of health on relationships.
• Feeling unmotivated, rebellious or “stuck” when it comes to making healthy choices.
• Fatigue–both physical and emotional.

As I said, that’s a small sample. The truth is, dealing with serious illness, whether it is acute or chronic, is an incredibly stressful experience. Scott has shared an insider’s look into some of the most difficult parts of living with diabetes and its partner in crime, depression–and what is true for him is also true for so many other folks.

So, I would just like to take this moment to encourage you, if you have been reading along in this blog and seeing parts of your own story, to get some support. You don’t have to see a psychologist (although we can be very helpful folks). Maybe your support will come from an online or in-person group, or a pastor, or a friend, or a loved one. But please, make sure that it is coming from somewhere. And don’t be afraid to ask for more support if you need it. Each of you has a story that is powerful and unique and important. Asking for support may be one of the strongest and bravest things that you ever do.  (*editor: emphasis added)

** Thanks Ann!  I really appreciate that you agreed to post here, I doubt many others in your position would have.  Everyone, please know those last sentences are fact.  It’s OK to need help and even more OK to seek it out.  It can be hard to ask for support, but you are worth it. Working through it all is not easy either, but it’s worth it too.  – Scott

Ann can be found at her blog Dr, Ann Becker Shutte and on twitter as DrBeckerSchutte – check out her posts!