Living with Illness or Disability: 10 Lessons of Acceptance, Understanding, or Perseverance

How is it that some people, when faced with a serious illness or disability, are able to repair their spirit and rebuild their lives, while others appear to lose hope and deteriorate? How do some even find that their lives have become more personally rewarding, as they believe that their illness or disability has enhanced their appreciation for the opportunity just to be alive?

The author, a respected occupational therapist with 15 years of experience with individuals with serious illnesses or injuries, has found 10 lessons that are common to those who have reconstructed their lives into meaningful existences marked by accomplishment, contentment, helping others, and finding simple joys. Ten chapters present personal stories of those who have transformed their lives. They describe several simple and thoughtful exercises that infuse occupational therapy practice with Eastern techniques and Western cognitive therapy... exercises that will help readers incorporate these 10 insightful lessons into their own lives.

Sharon A. Gutman, PhD, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist for nearly 15 years and has helped many people rebuild their lives after injury or illness. She currently teaches as an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey.