All disabled people have the right to the highest attainable standard of health and to live free from discrimination based on disability status. This page centers the expertise of chronically ill people navigating healthcare systems, fluctuating symptoms, and life with ongoing health conditions.
Chronic illness refers to health conditions that persist over time — typically defined as lasting a year or more and requiring ongoing management. Many chronically ill people identify as disabled; others don't. This page is for anyone living with an ongoing health condition, however they identify.
Chronic illness encompasses a vast range of experiences. What many chronically ill people share:
Fluctuating conditions: Many chronic illnesses involve good days and bad days, flares and remissions. Being able to do something one day doesn't mean you can every day. This isn't inconsistency — it's how many conditions work.
Invisible illness: Most chronic illnesses aren't visible to others. This creates unique challenges: disbelief, having to "prove" illness, and navigating whether and when to disclose. See Invisible Disabilities for more.
The "good patient" trap: Chronically ill people often learn to minimize symptoms, smile through appointments, and not "complain." This can backfire when trying to communicate severity to providers.
Medical gaslighting: Too many chronically ill people — especially women, BIPOC, and fat people — experience providers dismissing, minimizing, or disbelieving their symptoms.
This is a growing list. Each condition links to additional resources. Community members: contribute information about conditions not yet covered.
The immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Over 80 autoimmune diseases exist.
Affects multiple organ systems. Symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes (including butterfly rash), and organ involvement. Flares unpredictably.
Typical specialists: Rheumatologist, nephrologist (for kidney involvement), dermatologist
Organizations: Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus UK
Autoimmune arthritis causing joint inflammation, pain, and damage. Can affect other organs too.
Typical specialists: Rheumatologist
Related pages: Physical Disabilities, Pain & Fatigue
Immune system attacks protective covering of nerves. Symptoms vary widely — fatigue, mobility issues, cognitive changes, numbness, vision problems. See also Physical Disabilities.
Typical specialists: Neurologist (MS specialist)
Includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Chronic inflammation of digestive tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss. Not the same as IBS.
Typical specialists: Gastroenterologist
Psoriasis: Skin condition causing patches of thick, red, scaly skin. Psoriatic arthritis: Joint inflammation occurring with psoriasis.
Typical specialists: Dermatologist, rheumatologist (for arthritis)
Sjögren's syndrome, scleroderma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, ankylosing spondylitis, myasthenia gravis, and many more.
Widespread chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive issues ("fibro fog"), sleep problems. Diagnosis often takes years. Contested by some providers (wrongly — it's real).
Typical specialists: Rheumatologist (often first point of contact, though some refer elsewhere), pain management specialist, physiatrist. Care often involves multiple providers.
Organizations: National Fibromyalgia Association, Fibromyalgia Action UK
Related pages: Pain & Fatigue, Invisible Disabilities
Various conditions involving persistent pain: complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), chronic back pain, neuropathic pain conditions, central sensitization syndromes.
Typical specialists: Pain management specialist, physiatrist, neurologist (for neuropathic pain)
Connective tissue disorders affecting joints, skin, blood vessels. Often causes chronic pain, joint instability, fatigue. See also Physical Disabilities.
Typical specialists: Geneticist (for diagnosis), rheumatologist, cardiologist (for vascular type)
Severe fatigue not improved by rest, post-exertional malaise (PEM — worsening after activity), cognitive difficulties, pain, and other symptoms. Often severely debilitating.
Critical note on PEM: Post-exertional malaise means activity can cause delayed symptom worsening. Pacing is essential. Exercise programs can harm ME/CFS patients if they ignore PEM.
Typical specialists: ME/CFS specialist (rare), internal medicine, sometimes infectious disease. Many patients struggle to find knowledgeable providers.
Organizations: ME Action (patient advocacy), Solve ME/CFS Initiative, ME Association (UK)
Related pages: Pain & Fatigue
Post-COVID condition with persistent symptoms including fatigue, cognitive dysfunction ("brain fog"), breathlessness, pain, and more. Significant overlap with ME/CFS symptoms for some.
Typical specialists: Long COVID clinics where available, internal medicine, pulmonologist, cardiologist, neurologist depending on symptoms
Organizations: Body Politic, Long COVID Alliance, Long COVID Support
Various conditions affecting the heart: coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies.
Typical specialists: Cardiologist, electrophysiologist (for arrhythmias)
Dysautonomia condition causing rapid heart rate upon standing, dizziness, fatigue, and other symptoms. Often co-occurs with EDS, ME/CFS, autoimmune conditions.
Typical specialists: Cardiologist or electrophysiologist specializing in dysautonomia, neurologist
Organizations: Dysautonomia International, POTS UK
Chronic lung condition causing airway inflammation, wheezing, shortness of breath. Severity ranges from mild to life-threatening.
Typical specialists: Pulmonologist, allergist
Progressive lung disease causing breathing difficulties. Includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Typical specialists: Pulmonologist
Genetic condition affecting lungs and digestive system. Causes thick mucus, lung infections, digestive issues.
Typical specialists: CF care team (pulmonologist, GI specialist, nutritionist, etc.)
Organizations: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Conditions affecting how the body processes blood sugar. Type 1: autoimmune, insulin-dependent. Type 2: insulin resistance, various treatments.
Typical specialists: Endocrinologist, diabetes educator
Organizations: American Diabetes Association, Diabetes UK, JDRF (Type 1)
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (underactive), Graves' disease (overactive), and other thyroid conditions.
Typical specialists: Endocrinologist
Neurological condition causing seizures. Many types and severities. May be well-controlled or treatment-resistant.
Typical specialists: Neurologist (epileptologist for complex cases)
Organizations: Epilepsy Foundation
Related pages: Neurodivergence (for cognitive effects)
Neurological condition causing severe headaches, often with sensory sensitivity, nausea, and visual disturbances (aura). Chronic migraine: 15+ headache days per month.
Typical specialists: Neurologist (headache specialist)
Organizations: American Migraine Foundation, Migraine Trust
Functional GI disorder with abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation. Distinct from IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
Typical specialists: Gastroenterologist
Delayed stomach emptying causing nausea, vomiting, bloating, early satiety.
Typical specialists: Gastroenterologist, motility specialist
Chronic kidney disease, liver disease, HIV/AIDS (now a manageable chronic condition with treatment), Lyme disease and persistent symptoms, mast cell disorders, and many more.
If your condition isn't listed: The general guidance on this page still applies. Consider contributing information.
Healthcare navigation:
Insurance challenges:
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Healthcare systems and chronic illness support vary dramatically worldwide. Key questions to research for your country:
See International Benefits Overview.
What chronically ill people often look for:
Red flags:
Finding providers:
Tips from the community:
When providers don't listen:
Many chronically ill people have more than one condition. This creates unique challenges:
Strategies:
Many chronically ill people live with limited energy. Pacing strategies include:
Spoon theory: A way to explain limited energy (each task costs "spoons")
Pacing: Balancing activity and rest to avoid crashes/flares
Prioritizing: Deciding what matters most when you can't do everything
Planning: Scheduling demanding activities for better times; building in rest
Boom and bust: Overdoing on good days → crash afterwards. Learning to avoid this cycle.
See Pain & Fatigue for more strategies.
For people with ME/CFS and some other conditions, activity can trigger delayed symptom worsening (PEM). This is different from normal tiredness.
Key points:
Many chronic conditions involve flares — periods of worse symptoms. Managing flares:
Chronic illness affects work in various ways:
Common accommodations:
Disclosure decisions:
Living with chronic illness affects mental health. This isn't "all in your head" — it's a normal response to living with ongoing health challenges.
Common experiences:
Getting support:
Note: Mental health symptoms can be caused by physical conditions too. Don't let providers dismiss physical symptoms as "just anxiety" without appropriate investigation.
See Mental Health, Psychiatric & Psychosocial Disability.
Chronic illness affects relationships:
Other chronically ill people understand in ways healthy people can't. Community provides:
Where to find community:
See Community & Peer Support, Online Communities.
Chronic illness intersects with other identities:
See Intersectionality section.
If you've recently received a chronic illness diagnosis:
Grief is normal. Chronic illness involves loss — of health, plans, certainty. Allow yourself to feel it.
Learn, but pace yourself. You don't have to learn everything immediately. Too much information at once can overwhelm.
Connect with others who have your condition. They have knowledge doctors don't.
Build your healthcare team. Find providers who listen and take you seriously.
Learn energy management early. Pacing prevents crashing.
You can still have a good life. Different than planned, but good. Many chronically ill people find meaning, joy, and community.
You're not alone. Millions of people live with chronic illness. You're joining a community.
Chronically ill people have been organizing for better treatment, more research, and policy change:
Chronic illness activism often happens from bed, online, at whatever capacity people have. It counts.
See Advocacy & Self-Advocacy, Get Involved.