Hi, I’m Dr. Tonya,
Thank you so much for subscribing! Hypertension Resistant to Treatment membership is FREE for everyday people to learn what everybody ought to know about hypertension. You can take action to get good blood pressures without excessive medications; so, you can be healthier and create your happiness in life!
Stick with me so you can learn how to maintain your good blood pressures: then, get your doctor to reduce the amount of blood pressure medication you are taking.
At Hypertension Resistant to Treatment, you will get knowledge, training, resources, and support so you can live free from high blood pressure and complications. Visit hypertensionresistanttotreatment.com
Stages of Dealing with High Blood Pressure
The process of dealing with high blood pressure is called stages of change. The Stages of change were described by a
Stage 1 of Having High Blood Pressure
Not ready to change. Instead, you may be reacting to the news that your blood pressure is high. Unfortunately, your reaction may elevate your blood pressure even more.
Don’t see any reason to do anything about your high blood pressure because you feel fine. Therefore, you are not thinking about improving your diet or exercise, nor are you thinking about taking any blood pressure medication.
In denial that the reading is accurate and may come up with some reasons to support why your blood pressure is elevated or severe.
So, you think your blood pressure is not really elevated or severe. You believe you are stressed, anxious, rushed, ate some salted food, or something else. Those are some of the reasons you might think are causing your high blood pressure.
This stage is a normal and common response to try to protect yourself; that is the case until you can process the high blood pressure diagnosis.
Stage 2 of Having High Blood Pressure
Considering the benefits and disadvantages of being on blood pressure medication.
You may feel angry, frustrated, or guilty once you realize that your blood pressure is really elevated or severe. You feel bad for eating all that salted foods you or for gaining so much weight over the years.
Depression might occur when you know that you have to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. Most people feel that taking blood pressure medicine will negatively change their life forever. Usually, this does not mean that you are mentally ill and need an antidepressant.
Stage 3 of Having High Blood Pressure
Accepted the fact that your blood pressure is elevated or severe, and you feel that you cannot change it; so, you are preparing to start the treatment for your high blood pressure. You still may feel angry, frustrated, guilty, and/or depressed. It’s important to get support during these stages of change to cope with your high blood pressure.
Stage 4 of Having High Blood Pressure
Already accepted the fact that your blood pressure is elevated or severe, and you feel that you can take action. You are on a low salt diet, exercising, and/or taking blood pressure medication as prescribed.
Stage 5 of Having High Blood Pressure
Use to the fact that you have hypertension, and you feel that you can continue to take action. You are on a low salt diet, exercising, and/or taking blood pressure medication as prescribed routinely without fail.
Taking Action to Control Blood Pressure
Although the stages of having high blood pressure were useful, I found that the stages were not the full story. I started to wonder if we were missing important opportunities.
In my experience as a clinical scientist and as a postdoctoral scholar, I found that medication regimen and not psychosocial issues or poor medication adherence was responsible for much of the uncontrolled blood pressure control.
Hypertension Resistant to Treatment is the result of my relentless attempt to tell you everything you ought to know about high blood pressure, train you about what to do to manage your blood pressure, and support you while you work with your health provider to obtain good blood pressure control.
In the Hypertension Resistant to Treatment members-only area, I will share all of my knowledge, training, and resources with you. I understand these feelings and know how to get you through the process to take action so you, too, can have good blood pressures.
Discovering the Path to Better Blood Pressure Control
Over the course of a decade delving into hypertension research, I’ve uncovered some key insights. What became clear is that effective blood pressure management requires more than just medication—it demands knowledge, guidance, and support.
Specifically, I’ve observed a common resistance among individuals upon learning of their high blood pressure diagnosis. As a clinical scientist and postdoctoral scholar, I recognized that we may be overlooking crucial opportunities in addressing uncontrolled hypertension.
The Hypertension Resistant to Treatment website and podcast emerged from my unwavering commitment to equip you with comprehensive information on high blood pressure, train you in effective management strategies, and offer unwavering support as you collaborate with your healthcare provider toward achieving optimal blood pressure control.
At Hypertension Resistant to Treatment, my mission is to share my wealth of knowledge, training resources, and personal experience to guide you through this journey. I understand the challenges you may face and I’m here to help you navigate them, ensuring you achieve and maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Getting to Know Me
As a clinical research scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I’ve dedicated myself to various roles and spent the past decade focusing on home blood pressure monitoring, medication adherence, psychosocial factors, and ultimately, blood pressure control.
With six first-author publications in esteemed scientific journals and collaborative contributions to landmark studies like the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention (SPRINT) Trial, my research endeavors are widely recognized and accessible through PubMed.
Feel free to share the Hypertension Resistant to Treatment website, podcast, and YouTube channel with anyone who could benefit from it.
How Can I Assist You?
Let’s embark on this journey together towards better blood pressure management. Whether you’re a healthcare professional seeking insights or an individual aiming for improved control, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
