A chronic medical condition is one that lasts or is expected to last a year or longer, requiring ongoing intervention and follow up. According to the CDC, over 129 million individuals have a chronic medical condition in the United States. Acute medical conditions differ in that they develop quickly and last for a shorter period of time. Like chronic conditions, acute diagnoses can range from mild to severe. Both chronic and acute medical conditions affect people of all ages and can impact quality of life, both because of the difficulty of the symptoms themselves and also because of the processes recommended to manage those symptoms. Adjusting to a medical illness or injury may require making big changes to the typical routine. You may need to take new medications, complete regular treatments, limit or increase certain activities, or have the school or work day interrupted to attend appointments or engage in intervention. This all adds up, and can increase overall stress and anxiety and impact mood. You may experience worry or fear of uncomfortable symptoms or procedures, concern about the impact of missing school or work, and question what the future will look like. Particularly among young people, a diagnosis of chronic medical condition can bring up questions around relationships with peers. A diagnosis can impact identity and how a person views themselves, further increasing risk for anxiety and mood disorder development.
