Meaning of Illness on an Individual

Running head: NURSING 1
Meaning of Illness on an Individual
Name
Institution

NURSING 2
Reflective Essay
An illness negatively impacts on several people from the patient, to their family, a professional
healthcare giver, and the society at large. Chronic illness, in particular, is perceived to affect the
social, physical and psychological functioning of an individual ("Living With Chronic Illness |
Cleveland Clinic", 2019). From the perspective of the individual being taken care of, I believe
that illness can affect one in several different ways. A counselor may be needed to help the
patient deal with the stress and pain associated with the illness. I believe that an illness especially
chronic illness takes a toll on a patient and they can notice that they are unable to cope when they
experience disturbed sleep, irritability, body aches, and anxiety. It is a different story being ill
with an acute illness like flu because I would expect this to go away after a short time. A chronic
illness, on the other hand, disrupts your life in several ways.
I believe that there are other invisible symptoms such as mood disorders and fatigue that
accompany the disease-specific disorders associated with chronic illness. There are also
associated physical changes that change the appearance of the patient. I can ascertain that these
physical changes can affect how one feels about themselves. As a patient, when I do not feel
good about myself I would avoid associating with people and prefer to be alone. As a result, one
develops stress, frustrations, anger, and depression. However, I believe that one should seek help
immediately they feel unable to cope with their condition. As a patient, if I manage to take action
early I can learn to manage the stress that may help me in maintaining a positive emotional and
physical appearance.
An illness will also affect the family of the patient in many ways. I believe that the quality of life
of an individual has a very close relationship with the quality of life of the people around them.
As a result, I am obliged to state that an illness negatively affects family relationships such as