Use your social network

Once you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease, it’s often times easy to feel lost and to shut yourself off from the people around you. But that’s when it’s more important than ever to turn to your family, friends, community, church, co-workers, other patients, care team, organizations and your whole social network for support. Just knowing that people care is a huge boost that not only helps you get through the day, but also gives you the support and hope you need to keep your spirits up so you can continue to live your life to the fullest.

People want to help

It’s natural to want to help out someone in need. People want to help. They know that living with kidney disease is hard. But often, they don’t know what they can do. They’re just waiting for you to tell them how they can help. Consider your needs and then ask for support. It’s easy to assume you will be putting people out when asking them for something, but it’s important to remember that more than likely, they want to help you. You have to take the first step and tell them what you need; whether that’s something as simple as a person to talk to or something that may be harder to ask for, like a shoulder to lean on for financial support.

Families and friends need help, too

When someone has been diagnosed with kidney disease, their family's and friends' lives are also affected. Those close to a patient on dialysis may experience changes in their lifestyles or roles. Fortunately, there are places and resources care givers can turn to for help and support.