NATIONAL INVISIBLE CHRONIC ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK REACHES OUT TO MILLIONS

September 23-29, 2002 is National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. The theme is "But You Look So Good!" It is a major public awareness campaign sponsored by Rest Ministries, an organization that offers a Christian support environment for those who live with chronic illness or pain.

The current media announcement below is in regard to

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week,

September 23-29, 2002. Rest Ministries, the sponsor,

has over 40,000 visitors to our web site each month

and many people are deeply involved and have offered

to speak to any press about their illness, experience

living with an invisible illness, the need for such

an awareness week, etc. Please contact me at

rest@restministries.org or 858-486-4685 to arrange

to speak with someone in your area. We have volunteers

from all over the US and beyond.

Thank you!

Lisa Copen

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CONTACT:

Ms. Lisa Copen, founder & director of Rest Ministries

858-486-4685 · toll-free 888-751-REST (7378)

web site: http://www.invisibleillness.com

email: rest@restministries.org

San Diego, CA, U.S.A. (August, 2002) More than

1 in 3 Americans have a chronic condition, and despite

what we may assume, 60% of those who live with

daily illness or pain are between the ages of 18 and

64. The majority of chronic illness is invisible,

including the 9 million people who are cancer

survivors that suffer the side effects of cancer

treatment.

September 23-29, 2002 is National Invisible

Chronic Illness Awareness Week. The theme is

"But You Look So Good!" It is a major public

awareness campaign sponsored by Rest Ministries,

an organization that offers a Christian support

environment for those who live with chronic

illness or pain.

"Living with an illness that is invisible to

those around us can often have a more devastating

affect on our emotional health than the physical

pain," explains Lisa Copen, 33, founder of Rest

Ministries who lives with rheumatoid arthritis

and fibromyalgia. "Friends and family of those

with chronic illness care a great deal about what

their loved ones are going through, but

oftentimes the invisibility of the illness sets

up an environment for misunderstandings and even

doubt about the validity of the illness. We hope

to increase awareness of how many people 'look

great' but are hurting deeply."

Outreach includes various events: the

distribution of literature, "When a Friend Has a

Chronic Illness: What to Say, How to Help."

Resources include "But You Look So Good: A Guide

to Understanding and Encouraging People With

Chronic, Debilitating Illness and Pain."

Churches across the U.S. will be participating by

having various testimonies shared about living

with illness. Special chat guests will be online.

For a complete list of events and resources visit

www.invisibleillness.com or call 888-751-7378.

"The feeling of knowing that one's illness and

pain is acknowledged can have a great impact on

how a person copes with living with illness,"

says Copen. "We hope that by recognizing people

with illness rarely feel as good as they look,

they will begin to feel better understood,

leading them to a more invigorating life!"

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FACT SHEET ABOUT CHRONIC ILLNESS

About Chronic Illness

+ Over 1 in 3 Americans has a chronic condition

and an additional 9 million are cancer survivors

with various side effects from treatment. [1

+ Despite what we may assume, 60% of those who

live with daily illness or pain are between

the ages of 18 and 64. [2

+ The divorce rate among the chronically ill

is over 75 percent. [3

+ Depression is 15-20% higher for the chronically

ill than for the average person. [4 However, the

significance of one's faith has shown to lower

one's risk of depressive symptoms and aid one

in better handling a stressful medical event. [5

+ Various studies have reported that physical

illness or uncontrollable physical pain are

major factors in up to 70% of suicides [6; and

more than 50% of these suicidal patients

were under 35 years of age. [7

+ Those who use their religious faith to

cope are significantly less depressed,

even when taking into account the severity

of their physical illness. In fact, the

clinical effects of religious coping showed

the strongest benefit among those with severe

physical disability. Some 87 patients

hospitalized with serious illness who also

then suffered depression were followed over

time in another study. The patients with a deep,

internalized faith recovered faster from the

depression, even when their physical condition

wasn't improving.[8

About Rest Ministries, the Sponsor

FOUNDING INFO:

Rest Ministries was established in 1997 and

incorporated in 1998, as a 501[c(3); founded

by Lisa Copen who has lived with rheumatoid

arthritis since the age of 24 (diagnosed in 1993).

Lisa was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1998.

FAITH:

Rest Ministries is a nonprofit, non-denominational

Christian organization.

LOCATION OF OFFICE: San Diego, CA

HOW WE SERVE:

Rest Ministries currently serves

individual through 175 support groups called

HopeKeepers, based within churches and communities

in 30 states. Approximately 2500 people receive

the Rest Ministries devotional via email every

morning from Rest Ministries. Additional

programs/outreach include The Encouragement

Club, online communities such as Share &

Prayer (men and women with chronic illness),

Just Men (Christian men with chronic illness),

Beyond Surviving Homeschooling, Splashes of Joy

(women with chronic illness & depression),

message boards, Bible study chats and a

Christian Doctor Database.

SOURCE OF SUPPORT:

Rest Ministries does not charge for any services.

Resources, such as books and tapes are reasonably

priced for those on a limited income. Rest Ministries

is supported by donations and revenue from resource

sales. They are currently seeking grant funding

and church support.

VOLUNTEERS:

Rest Ministries volunteers, nearly all of whom

have at least one chronic illness, donate over

2000 hours per month. To volunteer, call

888-751-7378.

ABOUT OUR NAME:

Rest Ministries is based on the verse Matthew 11:28,

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I

will give you rest."

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REFERENCES:

[1 (Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century

Challenge, a study of the Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation.), American Cancer Society.

[2 ibid.

[3 National Health Interview Survey

[4 Rifkin, A. "Depression in Physically Ill

Patients," Postgraduate Medicine (9-92) 147-154.

[5 Pressman P., Lyons J.S., Larson D.B., Strain, J.J.

"Religious belief, depression, and ambulation

status in elderly women with broken hips."

American Journal of Psychiatry 1990; 147(6): 758-760.

[6 Mackenzie TB, Popkin MK: "Suicide in the medical

patient.". Intl J Psych in Med 17:3-22, 1987

[7 Michalon M: La psychiatrie de consultation-liaison:

une etude prospective en milieu hospitalier

general. Can J Psychiatry (In French) 38:168-174,1993

[8 References: Kendler, K.S., Gardner, C. O., and

Prescott, C.A. "Religion, Psychopathology, and

Substance Use and Abuse: A Multimeasure, Genetic-

Epidemiologic Study," American Journal of Psychiatry

1997; 154: 322-329. Koenig, Harold G., Larson, David B.,

and Weaver, Andrew J. "Research on Religion and Serious

Mental Illness," in Spirituality and Religion in Recovery

from Mental Illness, ed., Roger Fallott. New Directions

for Mental Health Services 1998; (80).