Guest Author - Cheryl Tidball, DO

Do you hide in the bathroom to use your inhaler or turn your head away and hope others won’t see? Do you make up excuses for not participating in sports because you don’t want to take the chance of having an asthma attack in public? Do you avoid telling friends and family that you have asthma because it’s too embarrassing? Or do you avoid even taking your medication or going to the doctor because it will probably go away if you just sit for a while?

Although the physical effects of asthma are great, the psychological effects can be just as difficult, particularly for children and teenagers who are desperately trying to “fit in” with their peers. Wikipedia defines stigma as “an attribute, behavior, or reputation which is socially discrediting in a particular way: it causes an individual to be mentally classified by others in an undesirable, rejected stereotype rather than in an accepted, normal one,” (retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigma_(sociological _theory).

The social stigma that asthmatics may feel can be influenced by a variety of factors including the age of the individual, cultural factors, the severity of one’s asthma and how apparent it is to others, and the limitations that it places upon the asthmatic’s life. In addition to merely being felt as embarrassing, sometimes perceived or actual social stigma can prevent an asthmatic from taking care of their disease properly and create a physically dangerous situation.

There are three main steps that an asthmatic can take to help to help to get rid of the stigma of asthma. The first is to educate yourself about your asthma including understanding what is happening inside your body, knowing what triggers may set it off, and the different types of treatment and when to use them appropriately. Become an expert! Lacking understanding of one’s disease will simply create fear and a feeling of isolation.

The second task in reducing stigma is to educate others. Share information with friends, family, and coworkers. People tend to be negative and fearful when confronted with things that they don’t understand, so the information that you give them will help them get rid of some their preconceived ideas and be more accepting. If you have others in your workplace or in your child’s classroom with asthma, perhaps finding someone to come in and teach a class to everyone may be beneficial. Your state chapter of the American Lung Association is a great resource for speakers.

Finally, get help if you feel you are not coping well with your disease. Your physician is obviously a good person to talk to about the physical aspects of your disease, but a therapist may be helpful in helping you deal with and find ways of coping with the psychological effects of chronic disease. Look for support groups in your community with others who have respiratory problems. You are not alone!