Overview

Living with chronic illness means medical appointments, unpredictable symptoms, and the exhausting work of managing your health. Relationships often become casualties. Friends drift away. Dating feels impossible. Family dynamics strain under caregiving pressures. The isolation can be as painful as the physical symptoms themselves. In this groundbreaking, compassionate guide, psychotherapist and chronic illness and rare disease expert Jodi Taub-who lives with primary immunodeficiency and associated conditions-teaches you how to rebuild and strengthen the connections that matter most. Drawing from almost three decades as a therapist specializing in chronic illness and hard-won insights from her own lived experience, Taub provides practical strategies for challenges familiar to patients: handling unhelpful comments, dating with a diagnosis, managing mental health, navigating caregiving relationships, and working with medical teams. You didn't choose to be sick, but you can choose what to do with it. The right relationships can transform your experience, and this book will help you build them.

Full Product Details

9781967115266

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Jodi Taub transforms the chronic illness journey from isolation into connection. This compassionate guide shows that meaningful relationships and purposeful living remain within reach, even when living with fragile health. More than a Patient is the roadmap I wish I'd had when navigating my daughter's diagnosis. Jodi Taub offers hard-won wisdom that transforms chronic illness from a solitary struggle into an opportunity for deeper connection and purpose. This compassionate, practical guide turns survival into meaningful living-essential reading for patients and caregivers alike."" - Tracy Shaw, PhD, caregiver ""Jodi Taub eloquently shares her lived, personal experience as both a therapist and a patient battling an invisible, life-threatening immunodeficiency. She addresses one of the most important, yet complicated and ignored, aspects of chronic illness: relationships. Her book fills a large gap in the literature, and reading this feels like a friend sitting beside you. I will read it again and again. I am sure many will join me as well."" - Jennifer Pate, MD, Psychiatrist and patient with chronic illness ""More than a Patient is the rare book that bridges the professional and the profoundly personal. Jodi Taub writes not just as a clinician but as someone who has lived the complexity, grief, and grace of chronic illness. Having worked alongside Jodi in the chronic illness community, I can say that few people embody both compassion and conviction like she does. This book reminds us that while our bodies may falter, our capacity for connection-and for joy-remains infinite."" - Eva Minkoff, MS, PCC, and patient ""As a therapist and a mom of a chronically ill young adult, I wholeheartedly recommend More than a Patient by Jodi Taub. Jodi's lived experience, wisdom, and care shine through every chapter. She also relays vital information on how to live your best life and thrive in your most important relationships. This book is a true gift for patients and the people who love them. I can't wait to share it with my community of caregivers and therapist colleagues."" - Jennifer Kogan, MSW, LICSW, RSW, and caregiver ""Jodi provides a relatable, approachable, and optimistic look at navigating life and love with a chronic illness. Her positive approach to tackling life's obstacles has been an inspiration and translates into each chapter. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been or cared for 'a patient.'"" - Mary Youch, FNP-BC ""Jodi Taub offers a lifeline to anyone living with chronic illness, reminding us that while health may be unpredictable, we can always choose to strengthen the relationships that define our quality of life. With compassion and practical wisdom, this guide transforms isolation into connection and survival into truly living. An essential read for anyone navigating chronic illness."" - Maria N. Alikakos, DO, Psychiatrist

Author Information

Jodi Taub, LCSW, PLLC, is a New York-based psychotherapist with over 27 years of experience providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy. She specializes in chronic illness and rare diseases, supporting patients and caregivers in managing health anxiety, medical trauma, and the psychological impact of complex health conditions.In addition to her clinical work, Jodi is a published writer, speaker, and researcher. She lectures nationally, facilitates support groups, and contributes to professional education and advocacy within the chronic illness and rare disease communities. Drawing on both her expertise and her own lived experience with chronic illness, Jodi is recognized for her evidence-based, relationship-centered approach that fosters resilience and meaningful connections.

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