Chronic Illness

Chronic Illness is a long-term health condition—typically lasting three months or more—that requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living. Unlike acute illnesses, chronic conditions are characterized by their permanence, residual disability, or non-reversible pathological alterations. In a counseling context, the definition extends beyond biology to include the "biopsychosocial" impact, focusing on how the illness creates persistent psychological distress, necessitates significant lifestyle adaptations, and alters the client's identity and social roles.