Finding Joy With An Invisible Chronic Illness

"Christopher does a brilliant job of explaining the tools for managing the social, spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of chronic illness. I loved that the book contains straightforward tips for patients, their caregivers, and loved ones. Every chapter includes useful advice." —Edith Wairimu, 5-Star Readers' Favorite Book Review Live your best life — even when your physical health crumbles. Finding Joy presents a comprehensive, practical guide for living your best life with chronic illness. This psychology self-help book integrates personal and professional insights to give you tools for handling various aspects of living with a chronic illness. There is also a chapter specifically for the loved ones and caregivers of the chronically ill. While this book is designed for anyone with a chronic illness, the spiritual content early in the book suggests the value of sticking to your faith and offers several Bible references. Ultimately, Finding Joy is an A-to-Z guide that critiques the literature and empowers the reader with: Positive psychology techniques. These range from self-compassion, positive reappraisal, positive self-talk, and pacing to positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors such as optimism, humor, and volunteer work. Stress-reduction methods. These include tools such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, simplification, and (therapeutic) journaling. Proven therapies. Examples include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Effective communication strategies and their impact on relationships and even the ability to access quality healthcare. Numerous tips to both access and optimize your your experience with high quality healthcare. Important considerations for loved ones of the chronically ill, so they too can know how to best support their loved one and take care of themselves in the process. Lastly, consider using the workbook by Oak Tree Reading on Amazon to enhance your reading experience. This could be useful for solo readers or support groups. “This book offers great value for anyone with chronic illness as it contains clear, practical, and actionable insights and steps that can be naturally implemented into daily life. An engaging, easy, and helpful read. Highly recommended.” —Alla Bogdanova, MSc, MIM, co-founder and past president of the International Empty Nose Syndrome Association "Having known Chris for decades, I am beyond fortunate to have been privy to such a work that serves others by providing a timely message, a powerhouse of practical strategies, and invaluable guidance.” —Mark Montgomery, PhD, chief diversity officer, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and founder and chair of Joseph’s Experience, Inc., an organization that assists children impacted by cancer and/or leukemia “I have had various invisible chronic illnesses for nearly forty years, but I was still able to find suggestions that will help me. So many of the things I have gone through are reflected in this book. I highly recommend this comprehensive book.” —Sue on Amazon.ca

Chronicles one person's true life story of illness and her physicians compassionate commentary as they journey through the four stages of chronic illness; Getting Sick, Being Sick, Grief and Acceptance and Living Well. Designed for people at all stages of the chronic illness journey, this book is also illuminating for caregivers and loved ones.

“Coming to terms with this reality was a lot like accepting the death of a loved one.” You Don’t LOOK Sick!: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness chronicles a patient’s true-life accounts and her physician’s compassionate commentary as they take a journey through the three stages of chronic illness—Getting Sick, Being Sick, and Living Well. This resource helps you focus on building a meaningful life that contains illness as opposed to a life of frustration and fear. Designed for patients in at all stages of the chronic illness journey, this book will also be illuminating for caregivers and loved ones. From the book: “I’ve learned that having a chronic illness is not a prison sentence. It does not mean I must spend the rest of my life feeling depressed and angry, locked away from the world inside my little sick box. It does not mean that I am useless and no longer have any gifts to share, but it may mean that I must develop some new ones.” You Don’t LOOK Sick! addresses practical aspects of chronic illness, such as: hiring a doctor managing chronic pain coping with grief and the loss of function winning battles with health and disability insurers countering the social bias against the chronically ill recognizing the limitations of chronics illness care and charting a path for change In You Don’t LOOK Sick!: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness, you will find stories, dialogue, humor, examples, and analogy of the three stages to illustrate a challenging but navigable journey. You will also find suggested reading materials for learning to live well, medical Internet resources, illness-specific Web sites, names and addresses of national associations, and a bibliography of medical books by topic. The short chapters and straightforward language of the book will be helpful for readers who are weary and dispirited. From the authors: “I've learned that having a chronic illness is not a prison sentence. It does not mean I must spend the rest of my life feeling depressed and angry, locked away from the world inside my little sick box. It does not mean that I am useless and no longer have any gifts to share, but it may mean that I must develop some new ones.” —Joy H. Selak “My goal is to work with patients so that, like world class athletes, they can perform at their peak capacity. My job is more than giving answers; I must educate, counsel and encourage patients to set goals and implement a personal care program as well as take appropriate medications.” —Dr. Steven Overman The authors are experienced public speakers. If you wish to inquire about their availability to speak to patients or health care professionals, please contact Joy Selak by email at [email protected].

Come and join us as we open the pages of our hearts and share in our journey with chronic illness from two perspectives. We each have a story to tell and we hope to shed light on your pathway as we share our stories. It is so important to understand the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of Fibromyalgia. If you live with Fibromyalgia or other such illness, this book will bring you understanding and validation around the many challenges that you face each day. It will help you find ways to express your needs and challenges to others. It is our hope that you can have life worth living. Hope that your life can indeed be filled with peace and joy.

You DonÌt Look Sick chronicles one personÌs true-life story of illness and her physicians compassionate commentary as they journey through the four stages of chronic illnessÛGetting Sick, Being Sick, Grief and Acceptance and Living Well. The authors address such practical aspects as hiring a doctor, managing chronic pain, coping with grief and loss of function, winning battles with health and disability insurers, countering the social bias against the chronically ill, and recognizing the limitations of chronic illness care and charting a path for change and more. This warmhearted resource helps you focus on building a meaningful life as opposed to a life of frustration and fear. This book is thoroughly revised and updated based upon feedback from readers of the first edition. The authors have added a new section on Grief and Acceptance, address the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act and Dr. Overman has added practical travel tips that bring organization and focus to each phase of the journey. Designed for people at all stages of the chronic illness journey, this book is also illuminating for caregivers and loved ones. "

Welcome, Your arriving on this page suggests you’re managing a complex illness or know someone who is. Please note: Naked Realities is a no-holds-barred look at chronic illness. There is no sugar coating within these pages. Those of us living with any of the complex illnesses, such as me/cfs, fibromyalgia, Lyme, or long covid, are grouped under the moniker, ‘the millions missing.’ We have grown to become a considerable throng of people whose disability makes it challenging to be seen and heard. If you are one of us, these reflections are for you. This book delves into five themes: * Living with chronic disease * Living with symptoms * Living with people * Living with loss * Living with curiosity An iconic painting from one of history’s celebrated artists accompanies each poetic reflection. The writings speak to the realities and hardships of living with a disability, while the paintings, through their beauty, celebrate the restorative acts of resting and sleep. These reflections arose to help remind us that each breath breathed is a breath of life and possibility. May this book help you grapple with what has come crashing into your world and give you language to communicate your experience with others. Let’s together explore the naked realities of living day-to-day with a long-haul condition. I wish you the best in your health marathon. ––The Missing Neighbor

Are you living with a chronic illness? Would you like to thrive in spite of your illness? In Thriving with Parkinson's Finding Joy After the Diagnosis, Teresa Jackson tells her compelling life story from a place of authenticity, outlining both the challenges and the silver linings that come with a Young Onset Parkinson's Disease diagnosis. Teresa recalls the day she was diagnosed and the decisions she made immediately following. The emotions are so raw that you can almost hear the fight music play as she tells of her struggle from battling the darkest days after her initial diagnosis to gracing the stage of the Mrs. Virginia Pageant answering her on-stage question as a top ten finalist. Teresa was determined to overcome the obstacles her disease put in her path. You will leave motivated to climb your own mountain. Having worked in healthcare more than thirty years, Teresa knew she had a tough road ahead. However, with sheer force of character and in true fashion, she met her challenge head on. Both her pain and her triumph are palpable as she shares the blue skies found within the darkest storms. She clearly has not allowed Parkinson's disease define who she is or what she can accomplish. After successfully managing her own disease, she felt the responsibility to share with others. Teresa's hope with this book is that you will leave inspired to confront your own journey with newfound determination. "Whether you are reading this as a young person with PD, a family member or friend, or you have no connection to the disease at all, your reading journey will ignite feelings of empathy, admiration, and ultimately inspiration from her words." Anna Grill "Teresa suggests ways for persons to take charge of the progression of their disease with various kinds of exercise - from boxing to rock climbing to ballet. She also recommends checking with the doctor before starting an exercise program. She writes about the importance of attitude in coping with the disease, as well as the importance of changing how you view your Parkinson's. According to Teresa, an attitude of hope helps us maintain a positive attitude and helps change the way a person approaches their Parkinson's disease." Cheryl Reames "The title of this book speaks to exactly how Teresa has chosen to live her life; not merely surviving with Parkinson's, but learning how to thrive through it. Not only does she want this for her life, but also for others living with Parkinson's." Anna Zatkiewicz "A must read for those diagnosed with Parkinson's or any chronic disease. This is a story of hope and finding faith in the midst of life's trials." Tiffany Rogers, Mrs. Virginia 2020 "This book will enlighten you and lift your spirits. Her book brings you to her struggle and fight to not let Parkinson's define her." Cathy Norred "Though she be but little she is fierce." William Shakespeare

“An important antidote to the dogmatic ‘kale and vitamins’ tone of most ‘self-help’ literature.” —Alexa Tsoulis-Reay, senior writer, New York magazine Popular blogger Ilana Jacqueline offers smart and savvy advice, humor, and practical tips for living with an invisible chronic illness. Do you live with a chronic, debilitating, yet invisible condition? You may feel isolated, out of step, judged, lonely, or misunderstood—and that’s on top of dealing with the symptoms of your actual illness. Take heart. You are not alone, although sometimes it can feel that way. Written by a blogger who suffers from an invisible chronic illness, Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness offers peer-to-peer support to help you stay sane, be your own advocate, and get back to living your life. This compelling guide is written for anyone suffering with an illness no one can see—such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), Lyme disease, lupus, dysautonomia, or even multiple sclerosis (MP). This book will tell you everything you need to know about living with a complicated, invisible condition—from how to balance sex, dating, and relationships to handling work and school with unavoidable absences. You’ll also learn to navigate judg-y or skeptical relatives and strangers and—most importantly—manage your medical care. Suffering from a chronic illness doesn’t mean you can’t live an active, engaged life. This book will show you how.