Living with long-term conditionsLiving with a long-term condition can be a daily challenge. However old you are and however long you've lived with your condition, you’ll have different levels of tolerance and ways of coping.
Taking care of your own health, known as self care, can help you overcome the day-to-day challenges of your condition. This can help you make the most of life, rather than avoiding or missing out on things because of it. Self-care puts you in control. Research shows that people with long-term conditions who take more control of their health have a much better quality of life.
The NHS Choices website offers a step-by-step guide to long-term conditions and self-care which is available here: http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/yourhealth/Pages/Yourhealth.aspx
Joining support groups can help you manage your condition by allowing you talk to people who are going through similar situations. Use Find A Service to find one near you.
If you are in Bristol or the surrounding areas, you may want to join WECIL's peer support group. Find out more here: http://www.wecil.co.uk/pages/get-involved/peer-support
NHS Choices have a Health Apps Library which can help you manage long-term conditions such as diabetes, Parkinsons, dementia or insomnia. You can access the website here: http://apps.nhs.uk/
