Your Rights and Responsibilities When You’re Sick
Being Sick Sucks
The greatest wealth is health. ~Virgil
Whether it’s a bad chest cold, or a serious diagnosis of a cancer tumor, being sick is just the worst. There is a process of adjusting to all of the ways our lives change when things in our bodies don’t work the way they always have.
Rights and Responsibilities
Ever wish there was a “sick pass” you could get that would relieve you of all your normal duties when you get sick? Sociologist Alexander Segall proposed that when you get sick, you automatically should get 3 rights or privileges and have 3 responsibilities or duties to fulfill. What do you think? Check this out:
Rights of The Sick
1. The right to make decisions about any health-related issues.
2. The right to be exempt from normal life duties.
3. The right to become dependent on others for assistance.
Responsibilities of the Sick
1. The responsibility to get well (if possible).
2. The responsibility to perform routine health care management.
3. The responsibility to use a range of health care resources (if possible).
Lie Down For Your Rights!
If you’re sick, let others take care of you. Everyone has to shop… ask your friends or neighbors to pick up chicken soup for you. They’ll likely want to do even more, but at least start by asking for something you need.
Take it as easy as you can, stop pushing and pretending that you don’t need extra rest and TLC. You’ll get better faster if you do. To recover from a serious diagnosis, the phrase “it takes a village” applies. Use your network of friends to arrange transportation, childcare, cover meals, house cleaning, etc. You cannot and should not do it alone!
Take Good Care of Yourself!
If you’re sick or have been diagnosed with a serious disease, take the time to learn about all of your treatment options. Even educating yourself about how cold medications can interact is important. The stakes increase when you’re trying to weigh chemotherapy options. Take time to do your research, ask questions, and get answers before you proceed with a treatment plan for yourself. To paraphrase an old song:
“Take good care of yourself… …you belong to us!”
Dr. Anita Sanz, PhD, Psychologist
Interdependence
In the progress of personality, first comes a declaration of independence, then a recognition of interdependence. ~Henry Van Dyke So…
Yes, You DO Need A Vacation!
Vacation Poor America Of all developed countries in the world, Americans are the worst at taking time off from work. Compared…
Spinning Plates
So you’ve been trying to eat healthier, lose those last 10 pounds, get an exercise program going, learn how to…
Stop Kicking the Turtle! Or How to Let Yourself Grieve
If you’ve ever suffered an important loss in your life…whether it was the loss of a loved one, a beloved…
I Just Can’t Get Over It
Being able to heal past wounds and move on to live a happy, healthy life is a goal of many…
Progress by Erosion
Are You In “Project Purgatory?” You want to get your garage organized but you know you will never get an…
How To Help Your Doctor Help You
You and I both know you are not a human Bento box. Trying to “unpack” your health experience by neat…
Getting a Jump on Seasonal Depression
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, then that first cool hint of air untinged by the humidity of summer doesn’t…
How To Avoid Getting Sick
Who Gets Sick? When Dr. Sheldon Cohen and his team at Carnegie Mellon University studied which participants became sick after having…
No One Likes A Bully!
Imagine you’re given two choices about getting something done: Choice #1: Do it or else bad things are going to…
Working With Your “Healthy Rebel”
Have you ever decided you were going to make a change in how you eat or how active you are…
Coping with Morning Depression
For those who suffer from depression, mornings are often the worst time. Once the day gets started, a person’s mood…
This Stress Is Killing Me!
An interesting study just released this week showed that all other factors being equal, people who believed that stress was having an…
What Psychotherapy CAN’T Do For You
- Well Being (56)
- Life Hacks (18)
- The Big Picture (8)
- Health (10)
- Relationships (13)
- Holidays (7)
- Therapy (40)
- Anxiety (9)
- Depression (16)
- On The Couch (15)
- Life Planning (5)
Related Posts
Self-Esteem Is YOUR Job
What Can Kwanzaa Teach Me?
