In the past, I never thought that a different eating style could make someone vulnerable in a modern society. I never thought that being vegan could mean treatment from others that negatively impacts their wellbeing and health. I am an international student on my first Master of Social Work placement where I am working on two projects: The Vegan Wellbeing Project and Prescribing Nature . Both projects have made me look vegans and vegetarians differently. The placement has also reminded me of a previous experience, and stories shared by my relatives.
Self-management of chronic health conditions is a daily and dynamic approach that individuals collaborate with family, community and health experts in order to manage lifestyle, symptoms, treatments, and the impact of chronic health problems.
Before listening the online lecture, I used to identify the most suitable treatment to improve chronic disease is a constant intake of medicine and a regular health examination. I totally ignored other important factors that have potential and considerable influences on chronic health conditions, such as lifestyle, social support, and personal health beliefs. These factors significantly affect the improvement of chronic health conditions and the possibility of causing other health complications. I suppose that it is necessary to adjust our mindset and attitude while facing chronic diseases. This is due to the fact that it is rare to recover completely from chronic diseases, which means that individuals have to face and live with the chronic disease in the rest of their lives.