Living with a chronic illness can be stressful and daunting. It can sometimes feel like an unmanageable challenge. It can be demoralising, scary, isolating, and frustrating. As many with chronic illnesses will attest, it is a persistent long-term health condition, and if not managed it can affect their quality of life.
Chronic diseases are long-term conditions that can be controlled – but not cured. Unlike the pain and aggravation of a broken bone or burst appendix, these conditions often have no cure and usually last a lifetime. For people suffering from mental health conditions, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, or other chronic conditions, it can often be debilitating and isolating.
But there is hope. For those with chronic conditions, it is possible to live a flourishing life and respond to its often swift and rapidly changing symptoms and problems. Rather than feeling powerless, we want to help you take charge and manage your condition instead of letting it rule you. Read on to learn about some common misconceptions around chronic illness.
How a person looks matches with how they physically feel.
People with chronic conditions know what it’s like to receive statements from friends and family along these lines: “you look great today! so you must be feeling better right?” This common misconception, while seemingly innocent, can come across as insensitive to many. Chronically ill people often feel pain all the time. In fact, it is common to have days when they leave the house looking great but feeling terrible.
Being home all day is a dream lifestyle.
Healthy people must keep in mind that for most sufferers their days are spent sick and often bed-bound or couch-bound in terrible pain. This is no casual day. For many, their days are spent navigating basic tasks with extreme discomfort. So next time you hear a friend talk about being home-bound, perhaps offer to bring over a meal or assist with basic household chores – it could make their week or month.
People with mental health problems can snap out of it if they try hard enough.
Mental health problems have nothing to do with weakness or laziness. It’s often caused by changes in brain chemistry, genes, physical illness, life experiences and family history. People with mental health conditions can get better and recover fully with medication and/or psychotherapy.
We created the Handy Health App for people with chronic conditions. The app helps users manage medication, track blood sugar levels, keep up with doctors appointments and monitor the effectiveness of their medications.
Check out our website www.handyhealthapp.com to learn how easy it is to manage your health moving forward! Stay tuned for your daily dose of handy facts and healthy tips by following the Handy Health App on social media below.
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Sources:
MI Blues Perspective. (2015). How to Help aging parents deal with chronic diseases. MI Blues Perspective. https://www.mibluesperspectives.com/2015/08/31/how-to-help-aging-parents-deal-with-chronic-diseases/
Psychology Today. (2013). Six Common Misconceptions about the Chronically Ill. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/turning-straw-gold/201312/six-common-misconceptions-about-the-chronically-ill
MentalHealth.gov. (2017). Mental Health Myths and Facts. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts
