A presentation created for Pulmonary Rehab about stress, depression, and COPD.

1. Welcome to
Pulmonary Rehab
Stress, Depression, & COPD
Babette Parthum, RRT
Clinical Coordinator
Respiratory Therapy

2. COPD & Its Effects on Your Emotions
Factors that can make you feel stressed, anxious, or
depressed
● You can’t do all the things you used to do
● You have to do things much slower than you used to
● You often feel tired
● You have a hard time sleeping
● You feel ashamed or blame yourself for having COPD
● You feel isolated from others because it’s hard to get
out and do things
● Breathing problems can be stressful and scary

3. Your Emotions & Their Effects on COPD
Depression
● Can cause more COPD Flare Ups
● Zaps your energy and motivation
● May make you less likely to
o Eat well and exercise
o Take your medications as directed
o Follow your treatment plan
o Get enough rest. Or, you may get too much rest

4. You Emotions & Their Effects on COPD
Stress & Anxiety
● Known COPD trigger
● May breathe faster, which can make you feel short of
breath
● When it feels hard to breathe, you feel more anxious
o When you feel more anxious, you feel more short
of breath
o You get stuck in what’s called the “Dyspnea
Cycle”

5. Dyspnea Cycle
● Dyspnea is shortness of breath.
● Understanding the Dyspnea Cycle
o When you start to feel short of breath, you
worry you are not getting enough air, which
causes anxiety.
o Anxiety makes you breathe harder and faster,
which makes the dyspnea worse.
o Then panic sets in.

6. Dyspnea Cycle
● Causes people to limit their activities in order
to not feel short of breath
● This ends up taking the joy out of life
● Being sedentary can lead to other problems
o obesity
o heart disease

7. How to Break the Dyspnea Cycle
● Take control - Use pursed lip breathing
● Pace yourself - Allows you to conserve your energy
● Exercise - Helps you to handle more activity with
less shortness of breath
Picture courtesy of
Mount Nittany Health

8. Picture courtesy of Vanderbilt Health

9. Managing Stress & Avoiding Depression
● Identify people, places, and situations that cause
you stress
● Try to avoid things that make you anxious (go
shopping during quieter times, avoid high traffic
times)
● Practice relaxation exercises
● Don’t take on too much (learn when to say no)
● Stay involved (attend social events, make time for
friends)

10. ● Practice positive daily health habits
○ Get up and get dressed every morning
○ Daily exercise
○ Eat a healthy diet
○ Get enough sleep every night
● Talk it out (share your feelings with people you
trust)
● Follow your treatment plan
○ When your COPD is well managed, you’ll have
more energy for the things you enjoy.

11. Know the Symptoms of Depression
● Low mood most of the time
● Frequent irritability
● Not enjoying your usual activities
● Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
● A big change in appetite, often with weight gain
or loss
● Increased tiredness and lack of energy

12. ● Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and guilt
● Trouble concentrating
● Feeling hopeless or helpless
● Repeated thoughts of death or suicide
Depression is more than occasional sadness or
frustration. COPD changes your life. Feeling
angry, sad, or depressed is understandable.

13. When to Call Your Doctor
● You cry often without cause
● Your depression has interfered with your work,
school, or family life for more than 2 weeks
● You have 3 or more symptoms of depression
● You think 1 or more of your medications is
making you depressed. Do not change or stop
any medications without talking to your doctor.

14. ● You or a loved one think you should cut back on
drinking.
● You feel guilty about the amount of alcohol you
drink or you drink alcohol first thing in the
morning.
● If your COPD symptoms get worse, despite
following your treatment plan.
Call 911, a suicide hotline, or go to the nearest
emergency room if you have thoughts of harming
yourself or others.

15. Conclusion
● People with COPD are at greater risk for depression,
stress, and anxiety.
● Depression, stress, or anxiety can make COPD
symptoms worse and make it harder to care for yourself.
● Your emotional health is just as important as your
physical health.
● Learning how to deal with your stress and anxiety and
getting help for your depression can help you manage
your COPD and help you feel better in general.

16. Stop the spread of
germs! Stay healthy!
Wash your hands!

17. References
● American College of Chest Physicians
● American Thoracic Society
● COPD Foundation
● European Respiratory Society
● Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung
Disease (GOLD)
● National Institute of Health