How Not to Feel Isolated and Lonely with COPD

My patient tells me she feels depressed. She used to go to lunch with all her friends on Wednesdays, but now she just tells them to go on without her.

“Why?”, I asked .

“I don’t like to hold them up. I walk so slow now!  They say they don’t mind but I feel like I just slow them down”.

First, your friends are your friends. If they say they don’t mind, then I would go with that. Plus, you only see them on Wednesdays… they have 6 other days of the week to walk as fast as they want to, if they are looking to exercise.

Second, let’s find you some new friends who go at your speed. A great place to start is by finding a local Better Breather’s Club.  Many BBC’s are listed in the American Lung Association’s directory: www.lungusa.org . Just search for Better Breathers, type in your zip code and – voila!

Better Breathers Clubs usually meet once a month, have a guest speaker, and have an inexpensive dinner or snacks and beverages. It’s a great way to network and meet like-minded people. You may even find a walking buddy!

Also, GOOGLE or search  ‘Better Breathers’  because not all BBC’s are registered with the American Lung Association.

You can also Google ‘Mall walkers’ and your city.  If you contact the information desk or concierge  of the local mall, they may have information on mall walking programs.

Remember, mall walkers WALK, not window shop! Many mallwalker groups stay after the walk and get coffee or breakfast. Most groups start early, before the mall opens, so you practically have the place to yourself.

So get yourself out there, meet some new people who move at your speed, and have some fun! All you single folks…. I’ve even heard of some romances that developed from ‘chance’ meetings at a BBC……. You never know!