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EXPERIENCING MENIERE\'S DISEASE: BARGAINING
In the bargaining stage you have finally admitted to yourself and others that you have Meniere\'s disease, but you are not willing to accept the changes to your life that living with Meniere\'s has brought. This can be a stage of desperation and despondency. A time, when you are willing to try anything and everything to regain a normal life. You may bargain with yourself at first, then with others. In bargaining with yourself you may promise to stop smoking and drinking, lose weight, change your diet, use less salt, try alternative forms of treatment or change medications, if only life will return to normal.
In bargaining with others you may promise to hear and understand them if they stop mumbling; stop falling over and stumbling if they don\'t leave things lying around, and stop having Meniere\'s attacks or being so tired if they give you more practical assistance and emotional support.
When this direct form of bargaining fails you may try to buy more time with compromises and excuses such as
- I know I don\'t hear perfectly but it\'s not that bad yet
- I can get along fine the way I am
- other people have Meniere\'s and they get by, so I can too
- I don\'t need (or want) to go out anyway.
The longer you continue to negotiate and look for excuses and ways to compromise, the greater your chance of slipping back into anger. Eventually anger may become profound and internalized - nothing seems to work or help. Internalized anger can lead to depression.
*30/133/5*
GENERAL HEALTH
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