Chronic Illness

---

 Disabilities and chronic illnesses can be significant barriers to daily functioning. For many disabled people, the biggest challenge of living with a disability is not the disability itself, but the way society responds to that disability. Buildings, classrooms, workplaces, and virtually every aspect of daily life are all structured around a presumed norm. Many disability scholars and activists define disability not as a deficit or a specific list of illnesses. Instead, disability is the product of society’s attitudes.

Disabilities and chronic illnesses are common. They call into question the very notion of a normal or healthy person. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in five Americans (19%) has a disability. Other estimates put the figure higher. According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, more than 25 million Americans (11.2%) live with chronic pain. An additional 40 million (17.6%) experience “severe” levels of chronic pain.

People who live with mental and physical health disabilities may find help in therapy. A therapist can support a client to manage the stress of disability, navigate the effects of disability on relationships, and advocate for their needs.

Chronic illnesses are distinct from acute disease in that they last for a long time. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a chronic illness as a disease that lasts longer than a year. The line between the two can be blurry, especially when chronic illnesses lead to acute disease. For example, diabetes is a chronic illness, but diabetic ketoacidosis is an acute syndrome.

Chronic illness and disability are both physical realities and social constructs. A person with infertility might see their condition as a chronic illness if they are unable to have a child. A person who doesn’t want children might not know they are infertile, or might not view their condition as a disease.

Sometimes medical and social norms don’t match a person’s physical experience. For example, though many people say they struggle with symptoms of chronic Lyme disease, many medical professionals don’t recognize this as a “real” diagnosis. Diagnoses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are relatively new. People with these conditions continue to struggle with getting people to accept the legitimacy of their symptoms. Some people spend much of their lives with a variety of painful symptoms, but never receive a diagnosis.