How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness - by Toni Bernhard (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Comfort, understanding, and advice for those who are suffering--and those who care for them.

Chronic illness creates many challenges, from career crises and relationship issues to struggles with self-blame, personal identity, and isolation. Beloved author Toni Bernhard addresses these challenges and many more, using practical examples to illustrate how mindfulness, equanimity, and compassion can help readers make peace with a life turned upside down.

In her characteristic conversational style, Bernhard shows how to cope and make the most of life despite the challenges of chronic illness. Benefit from:
- Mindfulness exercises to mitigate physical and emotional pain
- Concrete advice for negotiating the everyday hurdles of medical appointments, household chores, and social obligations
- Tools for navigating the strains illness can place on relationships

Several chapters are directed toward family and friends of the chronically ill, helping them to understand what their loved one is going through and how they can help.

Humorous and empathetic, Bernhard shares her own struggles and setbacks with unflinching honesty, offering invaluable support in the search to find peace and well-being.

Review Quotes

"An invaluable and eminently practical guide for navigating the many challenges of living with chronic pain and illness."--Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness

"Immensely practical and infused with warmth, wisdom, and unflinching honesty."--Dr. Alice Boyes, author of The Anxiety Toolkit

"Let Toni Bernhard be your guide in this life-changing journey."--Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind

"Toni Bernhard shares her own powerful experience of how mindfulness practice can deeply support anyone with chronic illness."--Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness

"In this comprehensive book, an empathetic Bernhard offers guidance to those whose lives have been turned upside down by illness. Excellent firsthand instruction for anyone dealing with a debilitating illness."-- "Booklist"

"This book is so honest, so real, and so practical, it is a must have for everyone, patient and caregiver alike."-- "American Chronic Pain Association"

About the Author

Toni Bernhard is the author of the award-winning How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers and How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow. Until forced to retire due to illness, Toni was a law professor at the University of California-Davis, serving six years as the dean of students. She has been a practicing Buddhist for over twenty years. Her blog, "Turning Straw Into Gold," is hosted on the website of Psychology Today. She can be found online at www.tonibernhard.com.