Photo Credit: İsmail Çiydem / istockphoto.com
11. No Sense of Humor
You may not consider yourself to be a bubbly and lighthearted person, but most people have a sense of humor. It’s part of interacting with others, seeing the absurdity in life, and not taking yourself too seriously. Once you lose your ability to laugh, you lose an important social tool and vital character trait.
Sometimes life isn’t funny. Physical symptoms can be painful and frightening, and it’s difficult to smile when you’re weighed down with worry. However, the longer you go without finding humor in anything, the more likely you’ve started down the road to depression.
A startling percentage of COPD patients (up to 50 percent) struggle with depression, but care, concern, and healthy priorities can significantly reduce that statistic.
When you spot the early warning signs, more helpful interventions are at your fingertips: from social support to behavioral therapies, you can try a number of less invasive treatments before turning to strong medication.
Resources
Elements Behavioural Health (Irritable Depression: When Sadness Feels Like Anger)Everyday Health (COPD and Depression)Everyday Health (10 Depression Symptoms to Watch For)Drugs.com (Top 9 Symptoms of Depression to Watch For)
If you live with COPD, you’ve likely heard about pulmonary rehab somewhere along the way and how it helps through exercise, education, and support.
