COPING MECHANISMS

If one can recognize and identify exactly how they deal with crisis in their lives, their reactions to the diagnosis might make more sense, bring perspective and allow them to cope in a healthy way. Members in the family might each take a different role in dealing with the diagnosis:

The serious one The sentimental one The responsible one The disengaged one The helpful one The sad one

The poor-me one The funny one

The I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-it one The mad one

The organizer The fixer

One of the hardest tasks for a family is to have everyone understand each other. With these differing coping mechanisms, this could prove to be quite challenging. Recognize that some people may need more support than others in this situation. Be as patient and as gracious as you can. The more family members empathize and cope with each other, the better off your loved one will be.