Family and loved ones
HOW TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE WITH A DISEASE?
Helping someone we care for goes through different stages following the announcement of a diagnosis
The announcement of the diagnosis of a chronic disease can be a real shock for a person. It can make him/her distant, sad, and even indifferent to his/her surroundings as they seek to understand the disease and their future.
The second stage following the announcement of the diagnosis can bring upon anger. It is very important to help the person to lose all feelings of guilt.
The denial is the most difficult stage to handle, the person refusing to accept her/his disease. Forgetting medical appointments, forgetting to take drug medication: those are denial factors from the suffering person; do not interpret this behavior as bad will. Do not hesitate to help her/him by reminding her/him of her/his appointments. She/he cannot take care of herself/himself alone; her/his doctor’s role and help are crucial.
Health professionals: an essential help
Helping his/her loved one to schedule her/his medical consultations is important as long as it is not perceived as an intrusion.
Be supportive if you believe that the announcement of the diagnosis creates a too strong impact on your loved one’s psychological state. The disease awareness can foster, on the emotional plane, an excessive anxiety, even a depression.
FIND SOME HELP AROUND YOU
List of patients’ associations
| France | |
| SOS Hépatites Tour Gallieni 2, 36, avenue du Général de Gaulle, 93170 Bagnolet |
AMFE 27 rue Edgar Quinet 92240 Malakoff |
| ALBI 3 rue Louis Le Vau 78000 Versailles |
AMVF Hôpital Beaujon Service d’Hépatologie 100 boulevard du Général Leclerc 92118 Clichy cedex |
| AA 29 rue de Campo Formio 75013 PARIS |
Association Vie Libre 8 rue René CASSIN 51430 BEZANNES |
| Association Croix Bleue 189 rue Belliard 75018 Paris |
Association Alcool Assistance 10 rue des messageries 75010 Paris |
| Hépatites Info Service 0 800 845 800, or if you are outside France : 00 33 1 41 83 42 78 |
|
| Belgium | |
| ELPA F. De Renesselaan, 57 B – 3800 Sint-Truiden |
C.H.A.C. Poisson-Moulin, 3 B 6640 Vaux-sur-Sûre |
| Germany | |
| Leberhilfe Krieler Str. 100 50935 Köln |
|
| China | |
| The Hong Kong Liver Transplant Patients’ Association Room 224-226, Wah Ching House, Wah Fu Estate, Aberdeen, Hong Kong |
Hong Kong Liver Foundation Unit 11A, Gold Swan Commercial Building, 438-444 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
| The Paediatric Liver Transplantation Support Group of Hong Kong c/o Flat D, 4/F, Block 7, Belair Monte, Fanling, New Territories |
|
| Taiwan | |
| Chang Gung Medical Foundation No.199, Tunghwa Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C |
Taichung Society of Liver Disease |
| Malaisia | |
| Malaysian Liver Foundation Jalan PJU 1a/3, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaisie |
Liver Cirrhosis Support Group Malays |
| Singapore | |
| Singapore Liver Cancer Support Group | |
| Thailand | |
| Liver Foundation & Liver Society 1575/1 Chai-Saghuan Building, Floor 4, New Petchburi Rd., Makkasan,, Ratchatawee, Bangkok 10400 |
|
| United Kingdom | |
| Liver4life Holme Cottage, Croft Road, Neacroft, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 8JS United Kingdom |
|
| British Liver Trust 6, Dean Park Crescent, Bournemouth, BH1, 1HL |
|
| Spain | |
| Hepatomur | Plataforma de Afectados por Hepatitis C C/ Santa Felicidad 24, Local 6, 28017 MADRID |
| Organizacion Nacional de Afectados por Hepatitis Virales Gran Via de les Les Corts Catalanes 509 1º1ª – 08015 Barcelona |
Plataforma de Afectados por Hepatitis C Aragon |
| Associacio Catalana de Malalts d’Hepatitis “Hotel d’Entitats La Pau” Pere Vergés, 1. piso 8. Despacho 808020- Barcelona |
ASOCIACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE AYUDA A NIÑOS CON ENFERMEDADES HEPÁTICAS Y TRASPLANTADOS HEPÁTICOS |
| Asociación Española para el Estudio del Hígado | FNETH (Federación Nacional de Enfermos y Trasplantados Hepáticos) C/ Santiago de Compostela, nº 38-7ºB 28034 Madrid |
| Associació de Nens i Nenes Amb Trasplantament Hepàtic | |
| Mexico | |
| Fundación Mexicana para la Salud Hepática (FundHepa) | |