Chronic Illness / Disability

In my work with chronic illness, I’ve noticed that people tend to move through the stages of grief. Just as when a family member or friend dies, when you’re diagnosed with a chronic ... Read More

One day you woke up not knowing that after that day, things were going to be different in your life. Something that you suspected to be true or something that came out of nowhere took ... Read More

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an “alteration in the function of the brain or other evidence of brain pathology caused by an external force,” according to the Brain Association ... Read More

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive autoimmune disease that results in neurological impairment due to lesions on the myelin sheaths that cover nerve fibers and axons. About 400,000 ... Read More

In Part I, we agreed that many of us have a hard time saying no to others, leaving little “me time” for ourselves. We also determined that too much stress can exacerbate medical problems ... Read More

This evening my local newspaper contained this sad headline: “Maryland couple found dead at home.” A husband and wife, both aged 72, died in an apparent murder-suicide. The ... Read More

In Part I of this series, we discussed the rate of depression among caregivers. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that 40% to 70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms ... Read More

As someone who is almost completely deaf in one ear, I understand what it is like to have a disability that no one knows about unless I tell them. Mental health issues such as anxiety, ... Read More

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” —Mahatma Gandhi How many of us run ourselves ragged on a weekly basis? Spinning on the wheel of work, family, friends, ... Read More

In a time of health crisis, the ingrained response is to rush to the hospital and seek help or treatment in the hope that the medical professionals on staff will be able to resolve whatever ... Read More

The holidays stir up all kinds of emotions, some positive and some not-so-happy. This time of year can be fun with family gatherings, work parties, and tree-trimming. But too many obligations ... Read More

Being the parent of a child with a chronic illness can feel as if the world is on your shoulders. Why? Chronic means the illness is persistent and lasts longer than three months. There ... Read More