Every day we deal with a range of emotions. But if you or a loved one has CF, you may experience more ups and downs than the average person. Having good ways to cope are essential for your emotional health. Recognize that everyone deals with things differently—what works for you may not work for your spouse or your children. An extroverted person is likely to have a very proactive way of coping, while a more introverted person is more likely to sit back and think things over.Coping with CF as a patient or as a loved one of a patient is quite different, too. Being respectful of the way you and other family members cope, communicating problems and being supportive helps reduce stress, especially in times of crisis. When you find something that works, identify it as a coping mechanism. Here are some tips. Get More Information
Educating yourself and/or your family can help restore a sense of control. Seeking information can help distill fear from the unknown or from what we think we know. But for some people, too much information may cause more anxiety. They would rather receive information on a need-to-know basis. When seeking information about CF, consider your source. This website is a good place to start, but there is a lot of information about CF on the Internet that is dated or incorrect. The best place to get information about CF is from your CF center. Staff there can provide you with a list of reliable websites. See the Guide to Healthy Web Surfing from the CF Foundation. Communicate
Talking, even if the subject is not CF, is a good way to cope. Sometimes being able to talk about something other than CF gives you a sense of normalcy. Talking can be formal, as with a counselor or therapist, or informal, like talking with a friend. Talking also means educating someone about CF. However, some people don’t like to talk about themselves because they feel like they are burdening people. Communicating with people non-verbally, through e-mails or good old-fashioned letters, is also a good way of coping. For family members who aren’t talkers, a family journal can be a means to communicate. For individuals, writing in a journal or drawing in an art journal may also be helpful. Exercise
Exercise, which helps patients and family members feel better and manage stress, is especially encouraged for CF patients. Normalcy
Establishing a sense of normalcy for children and teenagers with CF—a sense of being like their peers---helps them cope. Try not to let CF exclude them from any opportunities in life; encourage them as you would if they didn’t have CF. This doesn’t mean you should minimize your child’s CF. Rather, think of it as one of the many things that your child can say is part of his or her life. Being organized and keeping to a routine is also helpful in establishing a sense of normalcy. Get Involved
Often parents, spouses and caregivers feel helpless. Finding ways to get involved in the CF community, like volunteering or fundraising, can make you feel less helpless. These are also opportunities to meet and get support from people who know what you are going through. But for some people, too much identification with CF disrupts their sense of normalcy. For these people, getting involved in other extracurricular activities, whether it’s the garden club or the Boy Scouts, is more helpful. 
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