Chronic illnesses last a long time, often for a year or more. You may also have a need for ongoing medical care and difficulties doing the things you need to do every day. These behaviors, called activities of daily living, include things like using the toilet and getting dressed.
One of the biggest challenges of living with chronic illness can be the lack of support and understanding from others. Symptoms of chronic illness, including extreme fatigue, brain fog and debilitating pain, may be dismissed by doctors and even family members as a mental health issue.
Living with or experiencing a chronic illness can result in many adjustments and changes, such as loss of independence and not being able to do all the active things you used to do or usually enjoy. Anxiety and depression are common in people with chronic physical illness.
In addition to physical or cognitive disability, a prolonged illness can impact one's emotional well being, financial status, and interpersonal relationships. However, a chronic illness does not always have to be a negative life experience.
The CDC identifies four main preventable risk factors in contributing to chronic disease: tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and alcohol use.
Having a family member with a chronic illness can impact the daily activities of family members in the following ways: Feeling a burden from caring for the person. Feeling like they don't have time or freedom for themselves or their own interests. Having to rearrange their schedules to accommodate doctor's appointments.
In general, most people will experience increased fatigue (mental and physical) and some slowing down in the speed with which they process information, plan and solve problems. They may experience changes to their behaviour and personality, physical and sensory abilities, thinking and learning.
In 2018, 51.8% of US adults had at least 1 chronic condition, and 27.2% had multiple chronic conditions. Prevalence was highest among women, non-Hispanic white adults, adults aged 65 or older, and those living in rural areas.
Living with chronic pain provokes a lot of negative emotions like sadness, anger, frustration and hopelessness. At times, these emotions can erupt or explode into an attack on whoever is nearby. You might be blamed for something. You might be accused of something.
ANGER AND RESENTMENT
Patients often become angry when they recognize their loss. The anger might be directed toward God, their parents, the physician, or even themselves. Children with a chronic condition sometimes become manipulative and feel they should never be punished.
Regardless of its source, chronic pain can disrupt nearly all aspects of someone's life – beyond physical pain, it can impede their ability to work and participate in social and other activities like they used to, impact their relationships and cause feelings of isolation, frustration and anxiety.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the U.S. alone, chronic diseases account for nearly 75 percent of aggregate healthcare spending, or an estimated $5300 per person annually.
Chronic disease is more harmful than acute because acute diseases last for very short period of time but chronic diseases is long term illness i.e the disease that last for a long time, even as much as a lifetime. Examples of common chronic diseases are cancer, arthritis, diabetes etc.
An individual's behavior related to health may have an effect on their physical health or ability to recover from illness. In particular, health-related behavior, such as a lack of exercise, smoking, and drinking, are some of the main factors that can contribute to morbidity and mortality [1,2,3].
Indeed, chronically ill patients are facing major struggles such as higher expenditures, social isolation and loneliness, disabilities, fatigue, pain/discomfort, feelings of distress, anger, hopelessness, frustration, anxiety, and depression [1,2,3,4,5].
Chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes may make you more likely to have or develop a mental health condition. It is common to feel sad or discouraged after having a heart attack, receiving a cancer diagnosis, or when trying to manage a chronic condition such as pain.
Illness and pain can cause anxiety and stress, leading us to worry about our future and potentially making us feel like our lives have been narrowed – and, in turn, reducing our satisfaction with our health.
How can a long-term physical condition affect my mental health? Having a long-term physical condition can lead to social isolation, low self-esteem, stigma and discrimination. You may feel tired, frustrated, worried or stressed, especially when dealing with pain, tests, treatments or flare-ups.
The stress of a serious illness, chronic health condition or disability in a child often causes problems in a family. It is worse when each parent or adult caregiver attempts to deal with their own fears and frustrations related to the chronic health condition or disability alone and without support.
However, preventing these diseases will require changes in behaviors related to smoking, physical activity, and diet; investments in education, food policies, and urban physical infrastructure are needed to support and encourage these changes (see box 44.1).
A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. Disabilities can be congenital (such as cystic fibrosis) or acquired (such as lupus). A chronic health condition can be a disability, but not all disabilities are chronic health concerns.
In Australia, chronic diseases cause 9 out of every 10 preventable deaths 2 and account for 85% of years lost due to ill health or early death.