Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired: Living with Invisible Chronic Illness

Unlike a leg in a cast, invisible chronic illness (ICI) has no observable symptoms.

Consequently, people who suffer from chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and many other miseries often endure not only the ailment but dismissive and negative reactions from others. Since its first publication, Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired has offered hope and coping strategies to thousands of people who suffer from ICI. Paul Donoghue and Mary Siegel teach their readers how to rethink how they themselves view their illness and how to communicate with loved ones and doctors in a way that meets their needs. The authors' understanding makes readers feel they have been heard for the first time. For this edition, the authors include a new introduction drawing on the experiences of the many people who have responded to the book and to their lectures and television appearances. They expand the definition of ICI to include other ailments such as depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. They bring the resource material, including Web sites, up to the present, and they offer fresh insights on four topics that often emerge: guilt, how ICI affects the family, meaningfulness, and defining acceptance.

Paul J. Donoghue, S.M., Ph.D., is a  psychologist in private practice in Stamford, Connecticut.

Mary E. Siegel, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice in Stamford, Connecticut.