chronic: developing slowly, persistent, protracted
The term chronic means slowly developing, insidious, long-lasting. A disease is considered chronic if, unlike an acute disease, it not only lasts a long time but is also difficult or impossible to cure.
Source: https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/lexikon/C/chronisch-hk.html
Chronic diseases describe permanent impairments to health and functioning.
Source: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/zab/zentrale-anlaufstelle/vielfalt-chronische-krank/
Chronically ill people
The treatment of chronic diseases usually requires intensive care by physicians from various disciplines and other healthcare professionals, as well as active participation by patients.
Source: German Federal Ministry of Health
Seriously chronically ill
According to the Chronic Illness Guideline, people who require medical treatment at least once or more frequently per billing quarter for at least one year, without which there would be a permanent impairment of their quality of life or a massive worsening of their symptoms, are considered to have a serious chronic illness. A care level can also be a criterion for a serious chronic illness.
Chronic illnesses include mental illnesses and behavioral disorders such as anxiety disorders, personality disorders, addictions, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and depression.
Other chronic conditions include cardiovascular disease, rheumatism, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, allergies, back problems, cancer, and migraines.
Severe chronic illnesses can be recognized as (severe) disabilities. The decisive factor for classification as a disability is the existing restriction on social participation. If a disability is officially recognized, people with chronic illnesses can exercise the specific rights of disabled people.
Source: Bielefeld University
Variety of disabilities
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 9.4% of people living in Germany are officially recognized as severely disabled. There are a wide variety of different forms of health-related functional limitations that, in combination with environmental barriers, can constitute a disability.
Source: Bielefeld University
Chronic illnesses affect all areas of life
People suffering from chronic illnesses are dependent on the healthcare system for decades. In Germany, around 40 percent of the population currently faces the complex challenge of one or even several chronic illnesses. This affects both their physical and mental well-being as well as the many impacts of the illness on their everyday, family, and professional lives.
Source: Bosch Foundation, Page 9
Addictions
Addictions are also considered chronic illnesses because, in the case of an addiction, the craving for something no longer corresponds to one’s own will but becomes a compulsion. The most well-known types of addiction include alcoholism, nicotine addiction, and gambling addiction. The fact that addiction is a chronic illness is made clear, for example, by the fact that a recovering alcoholic is at immediate risk of becoming dependent again even after consuming the smallest amount of alcohol, e.g., in a sauce.
Source: Bielefeld University
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