Mental health and wellbeing in COPD

It can impact what you are able to do and how you feel. 

Mental health difficulties are more common in people with COPD than in the general population. 

There are lots of strategies that can help you cope with stress and anxiety relating to your lung condition. Learning to recognise and use coping strategies helps you to manage your breathlessness, other symptoms and situations.  

Everybody experiences stress and anxiety at some point in their lives.  

Anxiety can be helpful as it protects us in threatening situations. However, it becomes unhelpful when it starts to have a negative impact on our behaviours and on how we think. For people who are living with a long-term respiratory condition, anxiety is very common. Feeling breathless or worrying about becoming breathless can often trigger a vicious cycle of thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical sensations.  

The mood and anxiety section of the mylungsmylife website gives more information about anxiety in COPD and how to cope with it Your mood and anxiety | My Lungs My Life

• try to have a daily routine and set small, manageable goals 
• do things that are important to you and give you a sense of achievement and satisfaction 
• be kind to yourself – think about what you would say to a friend in a similar situation 
• remember breathlessness does not always mean a lack of oxygen, use pacing and breathing strategies to help calm the breathing (Coping with breathlessness) 
• try not to avoid doing things because you are worried about getting breathless 

This video from the NHSGGC Community Respiratory Team gives more information about taking control of anxiety and breathlessness symptoms.

Sometimes additional support is needed to help you cope with mental health struggles. If you find your mood and anxiety is becoming a problem which is affecting your day-to-day life and routines, or notice you are worrying more about situations, your health, and your ability to cope, you should contact your GP or speak to someone for advice. 

Some people may find benefit from being seen by the clinical psychology service, this can be accessed through pulmonary rehabilitation

Relaxation is about resting your mind and body. It can be a useful method for managing anxiety, stress and the fight/flight response often associated with panic. 

Click here to learn more about relaxation in COPD COPD and relaxation | My Lungs My Life