Having a disability or chronic health condition saddles the person with more than just the physical complaint. One has to struggle with the social meaning of that disorder as well. Often society is not very accepting of illness and disability and the person affected becomes stigmatized as a result. Stigma is a common problem among the disabled…

Someone who lives with incontinence, whether bowel, bladder, or both, knows the social stigma and personal toll on his life. Incontinence is the ever-present shadowy silhouette lurking over almost every decision, sometimes requiring complex preplanning. In this article, the author describes the challenges of incontinence and discusses how she…