Impact of Chronic Illness on Social Relationships
Natasha M.’s comment: I never go out anymore. How can I? I never know when I will have to get to a bathroom really fast! It’s so embarrassing. I have to be so careful about...
Chronic Illness
Deal with the Difficult Emotions of Chronic Illness
Is denial a bad thing? Denial is a normal part of adjusting to the diagnosis of a chronic illness. In the denial stage, we feel numb. We feel as if we have been transported into...
Does My Disease Cause All My Problems Or Do Other Things Come Into Play?
When you have a chronic illness, many other things can make problems worse or cause new problems. Kate Lorig, developer of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshops, writes about the symptom cycle in Living a Healthy...
Did I Cause My Disease?
It’s my fault. If it’s not my fault it has to be some-body’s. Maybe it’s genetic. You rack your brains searching for a family member who gave you the faulty genes. Are you just plain...
What Did I Do To Deserve This Disease?
Why me? Why now? There is so much I haven’t done yet. Is this the beginning of the end? I’m not ready. What did I do to deserve this disease? I must be a bad...
How Does The Doctor-Patient Relationship In Chronic Illness Differ?
How does the doctor-patient relationship in chronic illness differ from the doctor-patient relationship in cases of acute illness? The doctor-patient relationship in chronic illness is critical in managing the disease. Going back to the example...
How Is The Treatment Of Chronic Illness Different From The Treatment Of Acute Illness?
There are three major ways in which the treatment of chronic illness and the treatment of acute illness differ. The first is the goal of treatment. The second is the difference in the relationship between...
Why Are So Many Chronic Illnesses Difficult to Diagnose?
Chronic illnesses develop slowly over a period of time. Symptoms come and go, leaving patients wondering if something is really wrong or if it’s all in their head. When these patients finally do report symptoms...
What Causes Chronic Illness?
The causes of some chronic illnesses have been identified. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, “Most chronic illnesses develop long before the physician learns about their symptoms. Over time, genetics, lifestyle choices, psychological...
Who Gets Chronic Illness?
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, more than 133 million Americans have chronic medical conditions—that’s more than 16 times the entire population of New York City! Why is the number so high? There is...
What is Chronic Illness?
A chronic illness is an illness that lasts for a very long time, sometimes for a person’s entire life. Chronic ill-nesses usually develop slowly, often over the course of several years. Symptoms may come and...