Lecture on Chronic Illness and Its Impact

Introduction

• One in three individuals suffers from at least one chronic health issue.
• Chronic illness definition: Persists for longer than three months without a cure through vaccinations or medications.

Examples of Chronic Illnesses

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Epilepsy

Personal Experience with Epilepsy

• Symptoms: Uncontrollable, intractable seizures.
  • Can result in stiffening, falling, or staring.
  • Repetitive activities during a seizure.
• Physical risks: Falling, burns, injuries.
  • Burn from hot tea leading to long-term healing.
  • Injuries requiring dental work.

Stories of Friends with Chronic Illness

• Friend with Type 1 Diabetes almost slipped into a diabetic coma.
• Friends with visual impairment and brain injury hit by cars.

Cognitive and Emotional Challenges

• Short-term memory loss after seizures.
• Fatigue requiring extended rest (3-4 days).
• Medication side effects.
• Emotional and mental health issues: Anxiety, depression.

Social Challenges

• Impact on dating and social interactions.
• Incident of a date responding poorly to a seizure.

Acceptance and Mental Adjustment

• Acceptance is key but challenging.
• Concerns about future due to chronic illness:
  • Relationships, family, career, and financial stability.

Impact on Dreams and Goals

• Personal dreams like becoming a social worker.
• Story of Vanessa, a competitive dancer, whose life changed due to arthritis.

Call to Action

Acceptance

• Accept diversity in mental health, ability, and well-being.
• Acknowledge possibility of developing a chronic illness.

Empathy

• Be empathetic to others’ struggles.
• Offer support and understanding.

Societal Inclusion

• Consider chronic illness as a societal problem.
• Promote an inclusive paradigm for people with chronic illness.