Balancing hope and reality in heart failure
Balancing hope and reality in heart failure
Hope is a powerful force. It can sustain you through personal tragedy or carry you through the dark tunnel of disease. A sense of realism matters, too, grounding hope before it flits into fantasy.
Striking a balance between the two is important for anyone with cancer, heart failure, or other potentially life-shortening diseases. Hope begets a positive mental attitude, which fuels the drive to fight back. Untethered by reality, though, hope can become false hope or blind faith that everything will turn out fine. That can lead to futile treatments or missing the chance to plan a final good-bye.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.