Counseling Individuals Living with Chronic Illness

Practice Briefs

Contributor: Melissa Zeligman

Chronic disease and chronic illness are terms that are often used interchangeably, but actually convey different meanings. Chronic disease is a term used to broadly define chronic conditions which: (a) last at least a year or more, (b) limit daily activities, and (c) require ongoing care (CDC, 2018). Common chronic diseases include cancers, diabetes, HIV, epilepsy, lupus, arthritis, alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and depression. Chronic illness (CI), on the other hand, refers to the personal experiences of living with the pain, symptoms, disturbances, and distress that typically accompanies life with a chronic disease (Bernell & Howard, 2016; Martin, 2007). CI affects individuals across the lifespan, including an estimated six in ten adults in the United States (CDC, 2018), making this significant health concern a likely factor in the lives of many clients seeking mental health services. Further, as advances in medical treatment result in a number of once life-threatening illnesses being instead considered chronic (e.g., HIV, many cancers, numerous pediatric diseases), clients with CI must place further emphasis on illness management.

Citation:

Zeligman, M. (2020, July). Counseling individuals living with chronic illness [Practice Brief]. Counseling Nexus. https://doi.org/10.63134/NEPH9448

Metadata

  • container title
    Practice Briefs
  • publisher
    American Counseling Association
  • publisher place
    Alexandria, VA
  • rights holder
    American Counseling Association
  • version
    1
  • doi