Photo courtesy of Volodymyr Hryschenko for Unsplash.
September is National Pain Awareness month. Whether you have diabetes, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, epilepsy or any other debilitating illness, chronic illnesses affect all aspects of life.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 60% of Americans experience chronic illnesses. The organization lists poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking and overconsumption of alcohol as risk factors for conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Psychological conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder can impact how people interact with the world. It can be difficult to manage illnesses and still live a happy and fulfilling life — especially when they are invisible to most people.
Invisible illnesses and disabilities are chronic conditions that are not apparent to those around you. In an article by Harvard Health, “So-called invisible illnesses affect an estimated 10% of the 61 million Americans who deal with a physical or mental ailment that limits their movements or senses, according to the CDC.”
Despite this, they can still be debilitating. Never assume someone does not have a disability or is healthy based on appearances or previous abilities.
Conditions that have inconsistent symptoms can be hard for people without chronic illnesses to understand.
Many illnesses are congenital or hereditary and are not always attributed to lifestyle factors. Chronic or life-altering conditions can occur at any point in life. Whether it’s an underlying condition that becomes symptomatic or an accident that causes it, chronic conditions are something to be aware of.
Students experiencing chronic illnesses face the challenge of balancing school, work, social life and physical well-being. Students can fall into patterns of overexertion, poor nutrition, substance use, poor sleep, stress reactions and other behaviors that affect their health.
Abilities and symptoms can vary day-to-day depending on the condition. An easy way of understanding this is through the “Spoon Theory,” coined by writer Christine Miserandino.
The Spoon Theory is an analogy that explains how many people experiencing chronic conditions manage energy or pain levels.
For example, a healthy individual starts every day with 20 spoons — or energy. Each daily task takes up a small amount of spoons. A healthy person rarely runs out of spoons and is able to tackle the next day’s tasks with ease.
People living with chronic health issues start the day off with less spoons. Each task consumes more spoons for these individuals, sometimes leading to them dipping into the next day’s spoons. This leads to the person feeling drained or experiencing flare-ups.
The Spoon Theory is a good way to understand how to manage tasks and not overwork yourself during daily life. Try to save your spoons, or energy, when possible.
College students face many different stressors. People with chronic illnesses or disabilities have extra factors to consider to stay on track.
Healthy food, medication, water and other essentials are important to staying healthy during college. Taking time to rest and recover, or spending time with friends or loved ones can help people support their illnesses.
It can be difficult to express your health concerns to professors or employers. Communicate your needs and limitations with Disability Support Services or professors to ensure your success.
If students are in need of support or would like to support a friend, they can submit a report to the Care Team. The Care Team can provide students with information on campus resources and reach out to professors to talk with them about deadlines or missed classes.
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