Acceptance—Realistic acceptance of chronic illness is proposed by Stuifbergen and
colleagues (2000) to have a direct influence on health-promoting behaviors, on optimal selfmanagement,
and, ultimately, on an improved quality of life. Acceptance is defined, not as
resignation, but as integration of the disease into one’s overall lifestyle. It is the notion that,
realistically, one must accept the illness in order to “get on with living.”