Who Hates
to Hear They Look Great? Over Half of the Chronically Ill!
Released
on = July 29, 2007, 3:21 am
Press
Release Author = National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness
Week Committee
Industry
= Healthcare
Press
Release Summary = Nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA has a
chronic condition and 96% of it is invisible. A new survey reveals
that over half of the chronically ill get annoyed when someone says,
"You look so good!” because it invalidates their illness
and suffering. National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
strives to create awareness for invisible illness.
Press
Release Body = SAN DIEGO – AUGUST 2007 — In a recent
survey of 611 chronically ill individuals, done by the National
Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week committee, 53.27%
of the respondents said that the most frustrating or annoying comment
people make about their illness is “But you look so
good!”
“Although
telling someone they look good is often seen as a compliment,”
says Lisa Copen, founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness
Awareness Week “it feels like an invalidation
of the physical pain or seriousness of one’s illness and the
suffering they cope with daily.”
According
to Copen, author of “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to
Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend,” statistics show
that nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic condition and
96% of it is invisible. National Invisible Chronic Illness
Awareness Week held September 10-16 for 2007,
is an outreach to increase awareness that living with an invisible
illness can be emotional challenge—as well as physical—and
that more people than we would imagine are suffering silently.
Respondents
answered the survey at www.invisbleillness.com
and reported the following other annoying comments people tend
to make:
* “Your illness is caused by stress.” (14.22%)
* “If you stopped thinking about it and went back to work…”
(12.42%)
* “You can’t be in that much pain. Maybe you just
want attention.” (10.95%)
* “Just pray harder.” (9.15%)
Carmen
Leal, creator of SomeOne Cares Christian Caregiver Conference and
author of “The Twenty-Third Psalm for Caregivers”
says, “When someone appears physically normal people are
less likely to show understanding and compassion. National Invisible
Chronic Illness Awareness Week is an important opportunity to help
families, businesses, churches, and communities understand that
conditions without an outward sign are just as debilitating as other
more visible illnesses and disabilities.”
Copen,
38, who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis and
fibromyalgia for fifteen years agrees.
“We know that 75% of marriages impacted by illness
end in divorce and 70% of suicides have uncontrollable physical
pain as a factor.* There are hundreds of invisible illness such
as diabetes, cancer, myasthenia gravis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue
syndrome, and Crohn’s disease as well as mental illness and
conditions such as bulimia or migraines. Regardless of one’s
illness or level of pain, feeling isolated and misunderstood can
be emotionally devastating. We are each responsible for learning
how to effectively show compassion and understanding to those we
can about, including the chronically ill.”
National
Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week’s web site
has articles, resources and will feature twenty online seminars
during Sept 10-14, 2007. Guests include Maureen
Pratt, author of “Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic
Pain and Illness” and Jenni Prokopy, founder
of ChronicBabe.com.
Outreach materials include t-shirts, silicone awareness bracelets
and rack cards, appropriate for support groups or the work place
state what to say and not say to a chronically ill person.
The
theme for 2007’s invisible illness week campaign is “Living
with invisible illness is a roller coaster. Help a friend hold on!”
For
more information see http://www.invisibleillness.com
or call 888-651-7378. National Invisible Chronic Illness
Awareness Week is sponsored by Rest Ministries,
http://www.restministries.org,
a Christian organization that serves the chronically ill and HopeKeepers
Magazine.
_________________________
*
Sources: National Health Interview Survey / Mackenzie TB, Popkin
MK: "Suicide in the medical patient.". Intl J Psych in
Med 17:3-22, 1987
#
# #
Web
Site = http://www.invisibleillness.com
Contact
Details = Lisa Copen, Director
National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
888.751.7378 – www.invisibleillness.com
email: lisa@invisibleillness.com
PO Box 502928, San Diego, CA 92150
FAX 800.933.1078
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