Chronic illness is also often known as “invisible” illness. People who are dealing with chronic illness may appear to be perfectly healthy, with no readily visible signs of sickness or feeling ill. In the December 2025 podcast episode of Threads of Change, co-hosts Kristine Shreve and Cassie Green chronicle their experience dealing with chronic illness.

A chronic illness is one that a person lives with daily, and which requires management, either through lifestyle changes or medication, or both, to allow a person to proceed with their daily life with the least number of limitations. Chronic illnesses can often subside and then flare up, making management tricky and knowledge of what can be done on any given day uncertain.

Because chronic illnesses often don’t present with any easily visible symptoms, it can also be difficult to convince others that an illness actually exists. Friends and family members may question why plans are canceled or why certain activities cause difficulties. Employers may censure employees for taking too many sick days, or for having difficulties on certain days with completing routine tasks.

Even medical professionals, on occasion, may pass off symptoms of a chronic illness as just needing more sleep, more exercise, or a better diet.

For those who don’t have a chronic illness, it may be difficult to understand the challenges one can bring. An explanation of these challenges is made by the “spoon theory” first coined by Christine Miserandino.

The theory explains managing energy through the metaphor of managing spoons. A person without a chronic illness has an unlimited number of spoons to use throughout their day. No matter what their day demands, they will have the spoons, in other words, energy, to meet those demands.

By contrast, those managing a chronic illness have a limited number of spoons to use, say 12, and must ration those spoons throughout their day as they manage their tasks. Getting out of bed, for example, may take one spoon. Taking your baby for a walk may require three. The challenge is to decide how to allocate your spoons, or energy, to ensure that vital tasks get done.

The theory is a way to help those with chronic illnesses explain the challenges they deal with to those who don’t have the same issues. It can also be shorthand for letting others know you simply don’t have the spoons (the energy) to do anything more today.

Overcoming Chronic Illness Challenges

A huge challenge for those dealing with chronic illness may be accepting and learning to deal with the limitations their condition may impose. The spoon theory comes in handy here as well as it offers a convenient way to visualize the demands that a chronic illness makes on both mental and physical health.

People who deal with chronic illness are often in danger of pushing themselves past their limits as they try to meet all the demands placed on them. The problem is that doing so can result in the illness intensifying, causing more lost time and stress.

Another challenge for those with chronic illnesses is that keeping the impact of the illness to a minimum may require strict management. For some, it may be a firm sleep schedule. For others, it may be a restricted diet. Management of stress, regimens of exercise, monitoring of blood levels or vital signs, and other tasks may be necessary to ensure that health stays at optimum levels. Every decision about what to eat, where to go, when to sleep, and what activities to take on has to be weighed against what the potential ramifications might be.

People who deal with chronic illness also have the added challenge of dealing with the emotions that can come with such illnesses. In the beginning, many people wonder, “Why me?” There may be anger at having to make adjustments to a lifestyle.

Some people may become depressed or sad because their life has changed and they may not be able to enjoy things they used to enjoy. There may also be the stress of wondering if employers or friends will accept and understand a diagnosis and whether it might be better to attempt to keep a chronic illness hidden.

If you are someone who has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, remember that this type of illness is one you live with, it’s not a death sentence. Yes, life may change, but the changes will help you manage the challenges that come with a chronic illness more skillfully, and to limit the negative impacts as much as possible.

It may seem overwhelming at first, but there are forums and websites, support groups and medical professionals to help you get a handle on your new reality. The trick is to settle into things gradually. Master one thing at a time and monitor your own physical and emotional well-being closely. There’s no one path to managing a chronic illness, and you need to find the one that works best for you.

If you are an employer, family member, or friend of someone who has a chronic illness, there are some things you can do to make their journey easier.

Perhaps the biggest and most important thing is to accept and respect that those with chronic illness will have fluctuating energy levels and states of wellness, and that they’re not always in control of those things or will know about them in advance. Give those with a chronic illness space to manage their needs in the way that works best for them, without judgment. Dealing with a chronic illness is a stressful thing, but accepting friends, loved ones, and employers can help make things a bit less stressful.