How clients frame their previous health concerns suggests
how they feel about themselves and is an indication of their
sense of responsibility for their own health. For example, a
client who has been obese for years may blame himself for
developing diabetes and fail to comply with his diet, whereas
another client may be very willing to share the treatment of her
diabetes and success with an insulin pump in a support group.
Some clients are very forthcoming about their past health status;
others are not. It is helpful to have a series of alternative
questions for less responsive clients and for those who may not
understand what is being asked