Table 1 Steps in the emotional journey of patients after diagnosis with hypertension

Step 1

Shock

“The nurse shouted ‘How high!’ She said that (my blood pressure was) 200 (systolic). I was so shocked I thought she was lying.” (patient from Indonesia)

Step 2

Denial

“At first I didn’t take it very seriously. I simply thought that there has been something wrong with the result.” (patient from South Korea)

Step 3

Anger

“Why it happens again? Why me?” (patient from Hong Kong)

Step 4

Bargaining

“I wasn’t willing to surrender to the idea of taking medications until the third or fourth doctor I saw.” (patient from Malaysia)

Step 5

Depression

“It was depressing and sad back then because you knew you had to make a lot of adjustments.” (patient from Philippines)

Step 6

Testing

“There was a period of time when I was really resistant of it. I stopped taking (medication) for a couple of days. My blood pressure went up and down like a yo-yo.” (patient from Taiwan)

Step 7

Acceptance, passive

“It is easy for me now. I am not planning for any further effort. I would just take the medication and check for my blood pressure to see if it is within my target level.” (patient from Taiwan)

Acceptance, motivated

“I saw people around me suffering from cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage so I am more concerned but it is not easy to exercise regularly. It is not easy to raise children and have my own time to exercise, so I try to move as much as possible, but it is not as easy as I thought.” (patient from South Korea)