Joanna Charnas

I like this book. It's a quick and easy read and is nicely written. The author has lived with chronic illness most of her life so this is a narrative of how she's learned to cope.

Joanna Charnas is a licensed psychotherapist and social worker so she has additional insight into how others deal with their chronic illness.

The book was nicely laid out offering suggestions for dealing with emotional issues, practical daily challenges, and legal and financial considerations.

It's not that Ms. Charnas is breaking new ground here, but she has put together a helpful work that serves to reinforce, remind, and call attention to small details that those who are in pain can easily ignore or forget.

I found the "End Notes" section helpful. It's a nice list of websites that offers a lot of information on illness and dealing with the attendant issues. She also offered a "References" section/bibliography of her resources.

A nice and helpful little book… (meer)

As someone with a few chronic maladies, this book was a gift, and not just because I got it free from the Early Reviewers at Library Thing. I didn't recognize it as a gift at first, yes, I'd signed up to receive it, but darn it, there were "sexier" books I'd requested that month. Getting this book was a slap--yes, you need this book. But dipping in, I have found it to be a wonderful companion, with chapters that talk about meditation, beets (yes, beets are awesome!) The most freeing thing I found in this book was that when you are sick, TELEVISION IS A GODSEND. I have just come out of a deep depression and many of the methods listed in this book are methods I used to work through and allow myself to heal.… (meer)

Written by a social worker who has lived with chronic pain for a long time, this easy to follow book is very helpful.

One of the things that rang true is the difficulty of living with chronic pain while trying to live a happy, productive life. So often doctors and others tell me I look great. The author addresses this issue and affirms that you don't have to look terrible to actually live with pain. Dressing and looking good is a very good coping mechanism.

Having friends who understand is incredibly helpful. I've had to cancel many functions with friends and always feel guilty. I've learned that friends understand.

Some suggestions are simple -- get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, breathe deeply and exercise as often as possible.… (meer)

There’s a special affinity between people who realize that they both suffer from some type of chronic illness: they know the other “gets it.” Even if their illnesses are quite dissimilar, it doesn’t matter: many of the same basic life destabilizing and disabling issues are still there. Two people like this connect in a special way and they can provide compassion, assistance, understanding, and empathy to each other that is a vital resource.

Unfortunately, not everyone with chronic illness gets a chance to meet others like them. Nor do they often find others with the right knowledge to offer advice. They suffer alone, surrounded by people who often love them a great deal but have a hard time empathizing with the full picture.

This book, “Living Well with Chronic Illness,” fills the gap. It offers a wellspring of advice on all the major aspects of living with a chronic illness. A woman who has suffered almost her entire adult life with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome writes it. She is a social worker licensed to practice psychotherapy. She currently works in the mental health department of a large California teaching hospital. A lot of research and patient experience went into the writing of this book.

For me, the best parts were those that offered psychological and emotional issues. But the book also addresses a number of physical, financial, legal and spiritual issues, as well.

The book is divided into four parts. Part one deals with emotional issues and has four chapters: 1) “Sadness, Hope Fear and Other Unexpected Feelings,” 2) “Attitude!” 3) “Hard Decisions, Mistakes, and Choices,” and 4) “Looking Good, Feeling Good: Your Body Image.” Part two is about “Practical Challenges,” and it has ten chapters: 1) “Information is Empowering,” 2) “How to Obtain Good Medical Care,” 3) Your Body Knows Best: Listen to It!” 4) “Take Care of Yourself,” 5) “Learning to Juggle: Orchestrating Your Life,” 6) “Overwhelmed? Create a Backup System,” 7) Relationships: What Did You Just Say? Dealing with Friends, Family, and Others,” 8) “I Want You. I Love You. I’m Sick,” 9) “Have Fun! Cut Your Own Hair and Beets are Awesome,” and 10) “Exploring Complementary Care.” Part three is about “Financial and Legal Matters” and it has three chapters: 1) “Money, Honey: Public and Private Benefits,” 2) “Speaking Up: Advocacy,” 3) You Have Rights: Important Laws That Protect You.” Part four is about “Spiritual Considerations,” and it has three chapters: 1) “Keeping the Faith,” 2) “I Am What I Am: Defining Ourselves,” and 3) “Unexpected Gifts.” The book also has “End Notes” and “References.”

I do not have a chronic illness but my husband does. I bought this book primarily to help me deal with him. He is not the type of person who would read a book like this on his own, but he will listen carefully to my advice…and this book has given me a great deal of sound information I can pass on to him in bits and pieces when the opportunity arises. I am glad I have it on hand.

I can’t say this is a five-star book on the subject because I’ve read no others like it. I can say that it was easy and often enjoyable to read, that it was compassionate, that it offers sound advice, and that there are sections that can serve as a resource when problems arise.… (meer)