Time to Tackle ‘Taboo’ Over Continence Issues, Warn Charities

The 10 charities, including Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, Marie Curie, warned that the taboo around the topic forces those affected to struggle in silence and more research is needed. As a result, the organisations held a workshop where common problems and solutions for incontinence issues were discussed by patients, carers, researchers and clinicians. Others involved include Parkinson’s UK, Guts UK, the Urology Foundation, Devices for Dignity, the National Institute for Health Research, and the James Lind Alliance. A report based on the meeting – titled My bladder and bowel own my life and published today – recommends tackling the stigma and funding research into the issue. Read more.

Source: Nursing Times, August 22, 2018

Living Without Egos

“Living With Quiggles” has covered a wide range of stigma issues such as the impact of staring; how language stigmatizes; the decision to attempt to “pass” in society by keeping a health challenge or disability hidden; the reactions when the birth of a baby brings an unexpected Quiggle into a family; and many other subtle issues of stigma in healthcare.

For the most part we’ve explored stigmatization as it applies to strangers who connect briefly as they stumble upon one another while going about their daily lives. But how does one handle stigma when the dynamics become more personal and the relationships closer? How do our egos interfere?Continue reading→