What to do when diagnosed with a serious illness

What can you do when you find out you have cancer or some other major health issue?

If this is the case, here are 7 tips on what you can do to help overcome your fears when it comes to dealing with an illness.

1. Get all of the facts: The first step you need to do is to get all of the facts regarding your situation from your doctor. Do not rush to conclusions about your sickness. Get all the necessary information and details of your condition from the professionals before rushing to any judgements.

2. Determine your options: Once you get all of the details about your illness, the next step is to go through your options with your doctor. Determine what you can do to get better. It’s also recommended you get a second and third opinion from other doctors. You don’t want to rely on one person’s advice when making a life altering decision regarding your health. 3. Stay positive: Remain positive and avoid negative thinking if possible. Read some self-help books that have a lot of positive affirmations and statements. Reading these statements can help you to remain positive and replace negative thoughts during your stressful times.

4. Pray often: Prayer works. There are many inspirational magazines and books on how people were helped through the power of prayer. Read some articles to get an idea on how effective prayer can be in your life. Never doubt the power of God. Ask God for help and talk to a priest or minister on how you can get closer to God.

5. Join a support group: Try to find a local support group that helps people in your situation. There are many programs out there that provide assistance to you and your loved ones while you’re in a midst of a health crisis. Talk to your doctor or a mental health counselor for more information.

6. Spend time with friends: Develop a network of friends and get involved in different social activities. Friends can reduce loneliness and they can give encouragement regarding your situation. A person can also volunteer their time to help others. Volunteering can give you the perspective there are people out there who are worse off then you.

7. You’re in God’s hands: The fact of the matter is everyone will eventually pass away. Some things in life are just out of our control and your best bet is to include God in your life. You will be better off in the long run if you use the power of God in your life regardless if you’re sick or healthy. Remember God’s ways are not our ways. Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods”. Stan’s managing fear book has become very popular with over 300 positive book reviews and counting. Please read the many book reviews of Stan’s popular book by going to Stan’s website at http://www. managingfear.com/