Why Chronic Conditions?
Illness touches each of our lives. Whether a caregiver, a patient, a family member or professional, each of us will at one time or another experience a life disruption as a result of illness. As of 2012, half of U.S. adults had at least one chronic health condition, a condition that lasts more than three months and generally cannot be cured by medication and will not disappear on its own (US National Center for Health Statistics, 2016). A quarter of US adults had more than one chronic condition (Center for Disease Control, 2012).
Why do you say “chronic conditions” and not “chronic disease” or “chronic illness”?
Each person’s path of dealing with one’s health and the life disruption and limitations that may accompany a health condition is unique; the particular names or labels that someone gives to the experiences or conditions that they have are equally as unique. One person may identify as being “sick” or “having a disease” or “having an illness.” Another person may go through the same set of symptoms and treatments, but not find meaning in the naming of their experience as “illness” or “disease.” Someone may experience this as “labeling” and as unhelpful, offense or judgmental. There are condition labels that carry a social stigma, misperception or invite bias or discrimination; these experiences can bring an emotional cost that adds to the burden of the condition itself. Still, others may find the naming of their condition as beneficial or even liberating. I’ve seen people take joy in coming to a diagnosis and finally having a way to talk about their health experiences so that others around them will understand; I’ve also seen a person’s viewpoint on “what they call” themselves or their condition shift as their condition persists, as their life circumstances change or social stigma dissipates. In spiritual communities, I believe we ought to refer to people’s conditions in the ways they ask us to do so, and honor their experiences as they choose to identify it. We don’t have to convince them of a label in order to be a supportive person in their lives.
Goals of Participating in Support Groups
Religious and Spiritual Coping
Objectives for Congregations
Why do you say “chronic conditions” and not “chronic disease” or “chronic illness”?
Each person’s path of dealing with one’s health and the life disruption and limitations that may accompany a health condition is unique; the particular names or labels that someone gives to the experiences or conditions that they have are equally as unique. One person may identify as being “sick” or “having a disease” or “having an illness.” Another person may go through the same set of symptoms and treatments, but not find meaning in the naming of their experience as “illness” or “disease.” Someone may experience this as “labeling” and as unhelpful, offense or judgmental. There are condition labels that carry a social stigma, misperception or invite bias or discrimination; these experiences can bring an emotional cost that adds to the burden of the condition itself. Still, others may find the naming of their condition as beneficial or even liberating. I’ve seen people take joy in coming to a diagnosis and finally having a way to talk about their health experiences so that others around them will understand; I’ve also seen a person’s viewpoint on “what they call” themselves or their condition shift as their condition persists, as their life circumstances change or social stigma dissipates. In spiritual communities, I believe we ought to refer to people’s conditions in the ways they ask us to do so, and honor their experiences as they choose to identify it. We don’t have to convince them of a label in order to be a supportive person in their lives.
Goals of Participating in Support Groups
- Sharing experiences across age, identity and conditions
- Claiming sources of wisdom, resilience and joy
- Naming experiences of pain, challenge and sorrow
- Connecting to support and community
Religious and Spiritual Coping
- Helpful spiritual or religious beliefs
- Engagement in Spiritual Practices
- Participation in Spiritual Community
- Access to Practical Support
Objectives for Congregations
- Removing Barriers to Participation in Spiritual Practice and Religious Community
- Identifying Micro-aggressions and Limits to Accessibility in the Congregation
- Illuminating the spiritual gifts and potential contributions of members to the community
- Providing relevant and specific spiritual care
- Cultivating appropriate member interdependence and peer-to-peer support
