Be Patient

You might be hoping that you can take a pill or have a procedure that will improve your condition overnight. With most health diagnoses, that is not the case.

“Be patient,” says Vincent Pedre, M.D., a physician specializing in integrative medicine and clinical instructor in medicine with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Understand that a diagnosis is a process. Sometimes, the process that goes along with the diagnosis is shorter in time; sometimes it takes much longer to work. Don’t expect to be cured in the first 30 days, depending on your diagnosis.”

Pedre suggests you find ways to be patient throughout your recovery process. “Breathe. Take a day off from work to come to terms with your diagnosis. Maybe up until this point you haven’t given yourself a break. Take a day to tune into life and what you’re going to do with yourself at this point.”

Don’t dwell on the length of time your treatment needs to take effect. Depending on your case, you may have to try different techniques before you find the right one. Be good to yourself and your body and give it time to heal. It may take a while, but it will happen.

Read more advice from Pedre in our feature, "Coping With a Sickness Curveball."