Living with a chronic illness - reaching out to others
A chronic illness is a long-term health condition that may not have a cure. Examples of chronic illnesses are:
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Alzheimer disease
Alzheimer disease
Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. It affects memo...
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Arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation or degeneration of one or more joints. A joint is the area where 2 bones meet. There are more than 100 different types of...
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Asthma
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow. It leads to breathing difficulty such as wheezing, shortness o...
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Cancer
Cancer
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD)
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease. Having COPD makes it hard to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:Chroni...
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Crohn disease
Crohn disease
Crohn disease is a disease where parts of the digestive tract become inflamed. It most often involves the lower end of the small intestine and the be...
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Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is one of th...
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Dementia due to any cause
Dementia
Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It affects one or more brain functions such as memory, thinking, language, j...
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Diabetes
Diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
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Endometriosis
Endometriosis
Endometriosis occurs when cells from the lining of your womb (uterus) grow in other areas of your body. This can cause pain, heavy vaginal bleeding,...
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Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal electrical activi...
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Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition in which a person has long-term pain that is spread throughout their body. The pain is most often accompanied by fatigue...
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Heart disease
Heart disease
Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called co...
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High blood pressure (hypertension)
High blood pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the ...
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HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). When a person becomes infected with HIV, the ...
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Migraine
Migraine
A migraine is a type of headache. It may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. In most people, a throbbi...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Mood disorders (bipolar, cyclothymia, and depression)
Bipolar
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which a person has wide or extreme swings in their mood. Periods of feeling sad and depressed may alternat...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCyclothymia
Cyclothymic disorder is a mental disorder. It is a mild form of bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), in which a person has mood swings over ...
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Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
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Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
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Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a nervous system problem that causes extreme sleepiness and attacks of daytime sleep.
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Parkinson disease
Parkinson disease
Parkinson disease results from certain brain cells dying. These cells help control movement and coordination. The disease leads to shaking (tremors...
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Sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease is a disorder passed down through families. The red blood cells that are normally shaped like a disk take on a sickle or crescen...
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Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum become inflamed. It is a form of inflammatory bowel ...
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Living with chronic illness can make you feel very alone. Learn about staying connected with people to help you cope with your illness.
Talk With People Who Have the Same Illness
Sharing with and learning from people who have the same condition and feelings as you can help you cope with your own illness.
- Find a support group in your area for people who have the same chronic illness as you. Many organizations and hospitals run support groups. Ask your health care provider how to find one. For example, if you have heart disease, the American Heart Association may offer or know of a support group in your area.
Support group
Local and national support groups can be found on the web, through local libraries, your health care provider, and the yellow pages under "social ser...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Find an online group. There are online blogs and discussion groups about many topics, and you may find support this way.
Tell Others About Your Chronic Illness
You may find it hard to tell others that you have a chronic illness. You may worry that they will not want to know about it or that they will judge you. You may feel embarrassed about your illness. These are normal feelings. Thinking about telling people can be harder than actually telling them.
People will react in different ways. They may be:
- Surprised.
- Nervous. Some people might not know what to say, or they might worry they will say the wrong thing. Let them know that there is no right way to react and no perfect thing to say.
- Helpful. They know someone else with the same illness so they are familiar with what is going on with you.
You may look and feel fine most of the time. But at some point, you may feel ill or have less energy. You may not be able to work as hard, or you may need to take breaks for self-care. When this happens, you want people to know about your illness so they understand what is going on.
Tell people about your illness to keep you safe. If you have a medical emergency, you want people to step in and help. For example:
- If you have epilepsy, your coworkers should know what to do if you have a seizure.
- If you have diabetes, they should know what the symptoms of low blood sugar are and what to do if you have them.
Let People Help You
There may be people in your life who want to help you take care of yourself. Let your loved ones and friends know how they can help you. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to.
You may not always want people's help. You might not want their advice. Tell them as much as you feel comfortable sharing. Ask them to respect your privacy if you don't want to talk about it.
If you attend a support group, you may want to take family members, friends, or others along. This can help them learn more about your illness and how to support you.
If you are involved in an online discussion group, you might want to show family or friends some of the postings to help them learn more.
If you live alone and do not know where to find support:
- Ask your provider for ideas about where you can find support.
- See if there is an agency where you can volunteer. Many health agencies rely on volunteers. For example, if you have cancer, you may be able to volunteer at the American Cancer Society.
- Find out if there are talks or classes about your illness in your area. Some hospitals and clinics may offer these. This can be a good way to meet others with the same illness.
Get Help With Your Daily Tasks
You may need help with your self-care tasks, getting to appointments, shopping, or household chores. Keep a list of people who you can ask for help. Learn to be comfortable accepting help when it is offered. Many people are happy to help and are glad to be asked.
If you do not know someone who can help you, ask your provider or social worker about different services that may be available in your area. You may be able to get meals delivered to your home, help from a home health aide, or other services.
References
Ahmed SM, Hershberger PJ, Lemkau JP. Psychosocial influences on health. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 3.
American Psychological Association website. Coping with a diagnosis of chronic illness. www.apa.org/topics/chronic-illness/coping-diagnosis. Updated 2013. Accessed September 16, 2024.
Bibbins-Domingo K. Population health. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 11.
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Review Date: 9/4/2024
Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.