Review: Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions
Title: Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions
Authors: Katie Lorig, Halsted Holman, David Sobel, et al
Year: 2012 (4th edition)
Quick Summary:
This book is committed to giving the average person with a chronic condition the information and resources that they need to manage this chronic condition during the everyday ins and outs of life. Chronic conditions in this case refer to those that are more common in the general population, such as asthma, arthritis, chronic pain, mental disorders, and high blood pressure.
Highlights:
This book does a great job of breaking down the basics for someone that previously probably spent little to no time dealing with health issues and now has one to manage every day. There are very complete chapters on useful information, such as the basics of nutrition and different forms of exercise that can be utilized by people with a variety of physical limitations. It also covers important but often forgotten issues such as the impact a chronic diagnosis can have on family and friends. It spends a good amount of time discussing ways to self-monitor, whether this be evaluating your mental state or assessing the usefulness of a change in your management plan, these are essential tools for anyone with a chronic condition and this book covers them well.
Lowlights:
This book is not focused on GI conditions, nor does it really address them at any point. This is not necessarily a negative, but it does mean that many of the topics that are specific to dealing with GI disorders are not addressed in here. In a similar way, because it strives to cover so many chronic conditions at once, all of the guidance provided is very surface-level and generalized. It will take some real determination and creative problem solving to apply all of the tips provided to any one person’s specific situation.
Final Word:
This book could be very helpful for someone who is coming to terms with a chronic diagnosis and needs some basic guidance on nutrition, exercise, mental health, and getting a grip on maintaining the day-to-day.
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