A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is likely to leave you very confused and completely overwhelmed. It is time to take a breath and to assess where you are and what the next step is.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a well documented illness and it is easy to sink in the vast amount of information out there. Here are three simple tips which I hope will help you to find your starting point.

1. No two patients are ever the same. It is important to remember that you are an individual - you were before you had rheumatoid arthritis and you still are. Your reaction to treatments will be different from other peoples and as hard as it is you must try not to compare your self and your progress with others.

2. How to manage your pain. Pain management is an important aspect of any illness. Why do you need to manage pain? Pain can affect all sorts of areas of our lives. Although you may be able to live with a pain it does not mean that you should. Firstly, why should any one live in pain if it is not necessary? Secondly, there are side affects to living with pain - a patient may become irrational or emotional. This can have a devastating affect of areas of your personal life.

3. Dealing with physical change. It is inevitable that your body will go through changes with rheumatoid arthritis, but no one can predict how and when these will happen. Each physical change will need to be reviewed and the consequences understood. Living with rheumatoid arthritis is not about waiting for the next stage - this is the wrong mindset and an important pitfall to avoid.

Now is a good time to evaluate what is important - top of your list should be quality of life. Happiness is one of the best treatments for anything. Rheumatoid arthritis does not mean that you have to give up living.

You are not an island and you cannot stand alone. Take on board what other people say, but don't think that you have to follow their advice. You should always feel comfortable with decisions about your treatments. Doubt and scepticism do not often lead to success.

Remember,a good way to stay positive is to surround yourself with positive people