Celebrate your support team over the holidays

Support is a critical element in coping with a medical diagnosis. It's important to have someone -- or a few someones -- who can listen objectively, and who won't pass judgment or try to "fix' the newly-diagnosed patient. Unfortunately, friends and family members are often not so helpful in offering emotional support, mainly because they are dealing with their own emotional reactions to the diagnosis, and their own helplessness. Objective friends, members of the clergy, a support group, or a mental health professional may be better suited for this role. Family members may be more helpful once they have dealt with their own initial reactions to the diagnosis but, unfortunately, this is the time that the patient really needs them. If you are facing a medical diagnosis, who is standing beside you? Celebrate your team during the holiday season. Let them know how much they mean to you! And while you're at it, ask them how you can support them in return. Compassion is a boomerang!