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Writer's pictureLeonard Santiago

Stages of Acceptance (Patient's Perspective)

Updated: Mar 4, 2020


When you visited a doctor and diagnosed with such a fatal invisible disease that no one can understand, you get depressed and even misunderstood your own self towards the journey of accepting the truth.

So what are to expect when you're diagnosed with certain disease? How will you react towards your journey of acceptance? Here are some things you will feel and indulge along the way:

1. Denial

Some of us will think that the doctor is ridiculous for diagnosing us some sort of illness or disease. Some of us will tell, "Look I am healthy. I am doing a healthy lifestyle so why will I be sick?"

While others will think rationally and will seek a second opinion from other doctors. Then still thinks that the doctors they tried to consult with are not smart enough to diagnosed them.

Then there's someone that is totally rejecting all the things being said by the doctors and proceed on living a normal life until they feel and experience the effects of the disease.

2. Anger

Who never became so cranky and grumpy in dealing with his/her medication? After denying that you have a medication, you started to blame the Higher power.

Why among all the people, you are the chosen person to suffer such disease? Why not all the robbers and criminals acquired your bitchy disease?

You also started to shut all the people around you. Saying NO to help because you believed that you can do it and you get mad because you think that they think you are starting to become immobile.

What more pisses you off? Restrictions to your diet, physical activity, sexual activity, things that makes you happy are all prohibited. What more? Oh, you are so angry because you're thinking that you haven't done the most in your life, and it's unfair because you haven't enjoyed it and there are some open pages that you haven't closed.

3. Bargaining

The most feisty part of getting an illness is when you bargain with the Saint of Death and with God.

Some of us will tell some conditions with God, bargaining if you heal me soon I will be serving the church whole year round. While others made more critical or rational bargains.

While others get into a moment, "Alright, I'll be taking these meds, but in case it don't make feel good, I will quit it." Quit the medicine and treatment and ended up getting worse.

4. Depression

Here's the point of your medically ill life that you had enough and made peace with death.

You are doing all the type of self pity. I am going to die alone with this disease. No one loves me and everyone hated me so much that's why no one is there to be beside me.

You simply feel defeated and you got nothing else to do anymore to get through the disease.

5. Acceptance

After all your long time stubbornness of the illness, here you go consulting your doctor once again. This time the face of your doctor is way more serious and started to explain everything in a very detailed and more informative way to discuss your disease (because your doctor seems to question if he's doing a good job). Otherwise, you look so guilty of not taking all the precautions that you have done during the early diagnosis, you started to think that you should have listened.

While others, seen maybe some articles/stories of patients of the same illness getting to know that they are not alone on the journey, that there are some more people taking the same path.

There you are, realizing that healing and management usually takes time. It has to undergo the medical process. Follow your doctor and have faith to the LORD and heal.

So how did you accept your illness? Share it to the comment box below.

We would like to hear your stories. Don't hesitate to send us your stories to liveloveandhopewithleonard@gmail.com

We may feature your story in our incoming podcast or vlogs.

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