Living with a chronic disorder: The experience of living with chronic illness

Running head: CLINICAL INTEGRATION SPECIALTY PRACTICE 1
Clinical Integration Specialty Practice
Name of Author
Institution of Affiliation
Date of Submission

CLINICAL INTEGRATION SPECIALTY PRACTICE 2
Clinical Integration Specialty Practice
1. Reporting
This paper reflects on the writer’s experience of living with chronic illness. Before being
diagnosed with a chronic disorder, his life was good, he had energy and didn’t wake up fatigued.
He got excited about taking the next meal, going for a walk, etc.
His life changed certainly when he was diagnosed with a chronic disorder. He remembers
very well the feeling he had when he was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a condition
characterized by a painful bladder. The condition is auto-immune where the immune system
mistakenly attacks the body. Since his diagnosis of chronic illness, his overall health had
continued to worsen. He has been diagnosed with multiple disorders such as irritable bowel
syndrome, stabbing pain and a repetitive stress injury. The stabbing pain that he experienced
made him think that he had cancer. He sometimes felt he was dying a slow and painful death.
2. Responding
The situation made him have anxiety which was coupled with depression. His life was
fucking horrible and made him to sometimes think of committing suicide. His turning point is
where he responded to the situation by deciding to attend the 2017 SAGNAS conference. This
was his last time to attend the conferenced of a non-profit organization. While at the conference,
his anxiety was very high and he had trouble falling asleep as he had taken anti-depressant.
At 3 am he went through one of the worst panic attacks and the night was a blur. He
remembers very well trying to call for aid. The next thing he saw was doctors in his room trying
to talk to me. This time, he was confused scared and desperate. The doctors give him two