Besides the fact that that they must accept the disease and adjust themselves to a new lifestyle, the persons who depend on dialysis have to fight the stress and anxiety caused by the loss of job or the isolation from relatives and friends as renal insufficiency implies more restrictions, including food-related ones. Psychologists say some of the persons who dependent on dialysis do no resist and try to kill themselves, IPN reports.
Medical director of the Dialysis Center Petru Cepoida told a news conference that the psychological aspect of the treatment of patients who depend on dialysis is extremely important for optimizing the Center’s functioning. The inclusion of the patient in dialysis is associated with the significant change of lifestyle, at least at the initial stage. The psychological assistance is very important for the Center because the new patients represent 30%.
The Center’s psychologist Diana Stirbu said that dialysis, being vital for the persons diagnosed with chronic renal disease, makes the patient depended on it for life. If the persons are not supported psychologically by doctors and the family, they accept the disease with difficulty and some can even commit suicide.
“The psychologist works with each patient separately and can intervene at several levels such as education and counseling, assessment of psycho-behavioral changes, regular assessment of the quality of life so that the patients ultimately realize that they are not victims of a merciless disease, but real fighters for life,” stated Diana Stirbu.
Since the start of this year, the Dialysis Center provided almost 17,000 dialysis sessions for 300 patients. Currently, the Center provides services to half of the persons who need dialysis in Moldova. The patients have one-two or even three dialysis sessions a week.
The event was held in connection with the World Suicide Prevention Day that is marked on September 10.
