Managing and Coping with a Serious Illness: Tips for a Supportive Journey A diagnosis of heart disease, cancer, or other serious illnesses can be traumatic. But there are effective measures you can take to preserve your quality of life and cope with the emotional distress. A severe injury or illness can create chaos in every aspect of your life, whether a life-threatening disease or chronic health problems, such as a stroke, cancer, debilitating injury, or heart attack.A serious health condition can