Chronic Illness Q&A with Dr. B.

Dr. Larry Berkelhammer

This question & answer column is for people living with chronic health challenges and their family caregivers, who want to learn to increase the odds of improving their health by learning to live with mastery & wellbeing.

I invite you to post your questions in the comments box below. When I get a certain number of related questions, I pick one that covers them all and I answer that one.

I post to this blog three times per week. Monday posts are relevant published articles. Wednesday posts are interviews—mostly video. Friday posts consist of questions about living better with chronic health challenges, and my answers to them.

Here is today’s question:

QUESTION: Q: Regarding your post of 10/4/2013, wouldn’t your recommendation to always get help from others lead to dependency? Isn’t self-efficacy and mastery predicated on finding our own solutions?

ANSWER: Yes, you are absolutely right. Self-mastery is about finding solutions to our problems. However, the goal is to find solutions; this often involves getting help from others. Knowing when and from whom to seek assistance is part of self-mastery and leads to self-efficacy. The CEOs of the most successful companies often credit their success to hiring the right people. The smartest and most successful people in all walks of life rely on the help of others to reach their goals.

This website is offered as a free public service, supplying information that has been found helpful to certain people living with chronic health challenges. No treatment is offered on this website. The advice is general, and may or may not apply to your individual situation, and is not a substitute for psychotherapy or medical treatment.

What questions do you have about how to live better with chronic health challenges that are related to the relationship between states of mind and health? Just scroll down and type your question in the comment box. I will post a reply to your comment, but your question may not appear in this column.