Chronic Illness: An illness that persists for a long time. A chronic disease is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Chronic diseases generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. 

Autoimmune Disorder: A condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune disorders. VIEW RESOURCES & ARTICLES 

Pain Disorder: a condition when a patient experiences chronic pain in one or more areas, and is thought to be caused by psychological stress. The pain is often so severe that it disables the patient from proper functioning. It can last as short as a few days, to as long as many years. The disorder may begin at any age, and more women than men seem to experience it (APA, 2000). This disorder often occurs after an accident or during an illness that has caused genuine pain, which then takes a 'life' of its own. VIEW RESOURCES & ARTICLES

Mental Health Disorder: Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual's normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors, such as infection or head trauma. Also called emotional illness, mental disease, mental disorder. VIEW RESOURCES & ARTICLES

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