COPD counseling

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I am sorry to hear that your GP is of no real help. After some internet searching, the best answer I came up with was to contact the American Lung Association. You can find them online and they have a link to contact the lung helpline. I would think you would be able to at least find some direction to help you out. There are a lot of helpful administrators and forum members here that are also very helpful. So you can ask anything you want and most likely will get an answer or at least be pointed in the right direction. I am curious as to what you need to know or need an answer to. Please don't be shy and ask away. Take care and God Bless!

Thank you for your response. I'd like to ask a professional as to whether my frequent episodes of uncontrollable crying, and also panic attacks, could be related to life's changes from COPD. AND if so, would an anti-anxiety medication help

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I am not a professional, but I will say absolutely yes. COPD can cause panic attacks and episodes of crying. It is a very worrisome disease. I was diagnosed 4 years ago and I have some days when I am full of anxiety and sometimes panic. Especially when I have a flare up and cough a lot and have a hard time breathing. Or I see some blood mixed in with mucus I cough up. It makes me worry about another bout of pneumonia. I have been hospitalized twice for that in four years. Once in ICU for a week. Now if anti-anxiety medication helps, I could not say. I don't take any. I deal with anxiety with meditation, breathing exercises, and a great medical team who answers any question I send them through their medical portal. Do you have a pulmonologist? You need one for sure. Get your GP to refer you to one. A pulmonologist would be very helpful in managing your COPD and I am sure would recommend a counselor if you ask. I am interested in knowing how it all turns out for you. Take care and God Bless!

Anxiety sucks. It is one of the most uncontrollable aspects of COPD, as far as I am concerned. There are all types of help with nearly every physical aspect of COPD, but anxiety goes beyond mere physical issues. It is an emotional rollercoaster and you just want to get off. Sure, there are drugs. Sure, there is counselling. But in the final analysis, you have to work on yourself to get it somewhat under control. I nearly panic when I lie down at times and get the drowning feeling. I know some of it is simply anxiety. And the struggle is real. But stay after it. To lie down is to admit defeat, and with COPD, we simply can not allow that to happen. There is more we can do, and every week, there seems to be some new information on it to give more hope for the future. Keep yer stick on the ice, best wishes.