Illustration 3: Isolation

COPD can make you feel vulnerable, or even isolated at times.

But the people around you can be a big help.

 

 

Discussing COPD with friends, family and colleagues was something people felt reluctant to do, either downplaying or hiding the condition. Unlike asthma, COPD was something many hadn’t heard of before, which made it more difficult to explain: “People have heard of asthma but not COPD”.

There was a sense of anxiety about going out: “It’s the potential of being vulnerable in public”. Visible symptoms such as coughing and breathlessness, along with the need to use medication in front of others, made people feel self-conscious. People told us the support and understanding of others could be invaluable in helping with these feelings.

More Illustrations

Illustration 1

It can feel like you're always carrying COPD around with you.

But it doesn't need to weigh you down.

Illustration 2

On the good days, you feel brighter and lighter.

Find out how others make the most of the good days and manage the bad ones.

Illustration 4

At times COPD can feel like a storm raging around you.

But it doesn't need to wash away all the positive things in life.

Illustration 5

It isn't always easy balancing COPD on one side and normal life on the other.

The right help can help you stay steady.