Living with chronic illness can take a toll on your self-image. Understanding the impact and finding ways to improve your perception is essential. You can cultivate a positive self-image by practicing self-compassion, seeking support, redefining success, prioritizing self-care, educating yourself, and celebrating your uniqueness. Embrace your inner strength and resilience as you navigate this journey.

With a rare disease, you and your loved ones may face a lot of worry and uncertainty about your condition. In addition, as someone with a rare disease, you may deal with challenges in sharing your health concerns with others. Given how many struggles you can face with a chronic illness, a few added layers exist with a rare disease. Here are seven ways to self-advocate for yourself as a rare disease warrior to celebrate Rare Disease Day.

As a chronic illness patient, you’re probably juggling several healthcare providers. At one point or another, you’ve probably disagreed with what your doctor said about your health. However, as an advocate, you can respectfully decline their recommendations when you have concerns about your health. Here are five tips for what to do when you disagree with your doctor to ensure your voice is heard.

Empathic listening is a combination of having the intention to connect, focusing on clarifying the speaker's needs first and checking the timing before offering your own feelings, suggestions or thoughts. Empathetic listening is needed most when someone needs to be seen and heard, and are not particularly coming to you for a solution.

There are many aspects of living with a chronic condition that family, friends or coworkers might not understand or even think about. Chronic illness affects pretty much all aspects of life- work, hobbies, social life and relationships to name a few. It’s not something that can be easily compartmentalized, nor should it have to be. Being understanding and compassionate toward your loved one living with a chronic condition means so much.

While there is no formal medical definition of an invisible illness, medical conditions are generally labeled an invisible illness when they are chronic, cause significant pain or fatigue, and are entirely or mostly invisible to the casual observer. Most people with an invisible illness are women, and there are tens of millions of Americans who live with at least one invisible illness. Virtually everyone is guaranteed to know at least one person with an invisible illness, whether they are aware of it or not.

Practicing ways to be an advocate for yourself at the doctor’s can help ease stress so that your appointment can bring you one step closer to an answer. Here are some quick tips to help you feel confident in your ability to self-advocate at your next appointment.