Coping styles in asthma

Some patients with asthma cope with their disease in ways that are deleteri ous to them. The coping styles used by these patients often were used by th em before the onset of the asthma, but the asthma amplifies these styles, a nd the coping styles can amplify the asthma. There are striking similaritie s between these coping styles and those described in cancer victims. Like t he latter, they may reflect denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, Reco gnition that patients are using these coping styles and appropriate interve ntion will prevent them from continuing to act in these self-destructive ma nners.