In a poignant and provocative new piece titled “I Am Persistent,” author and patient advocate Jen Jungenberg challenges the clinical and social lexicon surrounding chronic illness. By rejecting the term “resilient”—a label often bestowed upon those navigating the complexities of long-term health struggles—Jungenberg opens a critical dialogue about the psychological, emotional, and physical tolls of living within a medical system that often prioritizes outcomes over the lived experience of the patient.
Her work, released in April 2026, serves as both a personal testament and a systemic critique, urging a shift in how we perceive the endurance of those who suffer from invisible, complex, and trauma-inducing medical conditions.
The Semantics of Suffering: Why “Resilience” Misses the Mark
For decades, the word “resilient” has been the gold standard for describing a patient who continues to function despite debilitating pain. However, Jungenberg argues that this label is often "inflicted" rather than earned. To be resilient, in the common parlance, is to bend and return to one’s original shape—to "spring back."
The Distinction Between Resilience and Persistence
Jungenberg posits a radical departure from this definition:
- Resilience implies a return to a pre-trauma state, a concept she finds factually inaccurate for those with chronic, life-altering conditions.
- Persistence recognizes the reality of being "altered." It acknowledges that trauma, medical intervention, and chronic pain fundamentally change a person. Persistence is the act of continuing despite suffering, not because one has "bounced back" to a former, healthier version of oneself, but because one has developed the "grit" to survive in a new, often more difficult, form.
By shifting the narrative from resilience to persistence, Jungenberg highlights that the patient is not a superhero—she is a person dealing with the very real, very human consequences of a body that may no longer be entirely under her own command.
A Chronology of the Clinical Experience
Jungenberg’s narrative provides a raw look at the chronology of a patient’s journey through the healthcare system, which she describes as an "adrenaline-riddled cage."
1. The Initial Trust
Early in the patient journey, there is often a period of blind faith. The patient listens to doctors, follows protocols, and believes in the curative potential of medicine. This is the period where the "agreement" is formed: if the patient does everything right, the condition will improve.
2. The Breach of Contract
When "rare complications" or "atypical responses" occur, that implicit agreement is shattered. The patient is left to deal with the unintended consequences of medical advice that was once trusted. This is the turning point where the patient begins to view the medical system with suspicion rather than reliance.
3. The Professional Patient
Over years of repeated visits, the patient becomes a "professional." They learn to scan the room for signs of skepticism, they anticipate when they are not being heard, and they adjust their behavior to elicit empathy from clinicians. This tactical maneuvering is a survival mechanism, a way to navigate a system that often pathologizes the patient’s reaction to their own trauma.
Supporting Data: The Psychological Impact of Medical Trauma
While Jungenberg’s work is poetic, it reflects broader data regarding "medical trauma" and "iatrogenic distress." Studies indicate that patients with chronic, invisible illnesses frequently experience:
- Dissociation as a Coping Mechanism: Many patients report that when faced with overwhelming physical pain or invalidating clinical interactions, they dissociate to protect their mental integrity.
- The "Fog" of Chronic Pain: Cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as "brain fog," is a frequent side effect of both chronic illness and the autonomic nervous system’s "fight or flight" response to persistent stress.
- Diagnostic Overwhelm: Patients often struggle to make decisions regarding their own care because they are haunted by past failures, leading to a paralysis of choice—a phenomenon Jungenberg describes as being "invaded" by memories of past medical missteps.
These experiences are not merely emotional; they are physiological. The body reacts with tremors, sweating, and restlessness, even when the mind attempts to remain composed.
Clinical Implications and the Need for Trauma-Informed Care
Jungenberg’s critique serves as a call to action for the medical community. If the current model of care is leaving patients feeling "assaulted, blamed, and faulted," it is failing in its fundamental duty.
The Shift Toward Empathy
The "professional patient" tactic—where the patient anticipates what the doctor wants to hear—is a symptom of a systemic failure. When a patient feels they must "perform" their illness to be believed, the therapeutic alliance is destroyed. Clinicians are urged to:
- Acknowledge the Patient’s History: Validate that the patient has been through "hell" and that their current state is a result of that journey.
- Move Beyond "Compliance": Instead of focusing on whether a patient is following orders, focus on the patient’s lived experience and their internal wisdom.
- Recognize the "Altered" State: Accept that a patient may never be who they were before their illness. Treatment goals should focus on quality of life and stability rather than a return to a pre-illness baseline that may no longer exist.
The Implication of "Persistence"
What does it mean to "turn the page" rather than "close the book"? Jungenberg suggests that for the chronically ill, life is not a linear recovery. It is a series of chapters, each defined by the need to balance the burden of illness with the necessity of living.
A New Narrative of Health
The implication of this work is that we must redefine what "success" looks like in medicine. If success is defined solely by the absence of symptoms, most chronic patients will be deemed "failures." If success is redefined as the ability to persist—to find moments of wellness, to maintain one’s identity despite the body’s betrayal, and to continue engaging with the world despite the trauma—then we open the door to a more compassionate and effective healthcare model.
Addressing the "Professional Patient" Stigma
Jungenberg’s account sheds light on the exhaustion of being a patient. When the system treats the patient as a liar or a burden, the patient must become a master of self-protection. This is not a healthy way to live, but it is a necessary one under the current paradigm. To alleviate this, medical providers must work to create environments where the patient’s voice is heard as the primary source of truth, not a secondary source of "symptoms."
Conclusion: The Path Forward
Jen Jungenberg’s “I Am Persistent” is more than a poem; it is a manifesto for the chronically ill. It demands that we stop using the word "resilience" as a shield to hide the true, messy, and often painful reality of long-term illness.
By acknowledging that survival is "grit," and that the patient is "altered" rather than "bounced back," we can begin to build a healthcare system that respects the integrity of the individual. The future of medicine should not be about forcing the patient back into a mold that no longer fits; it should be about helping them navigate their new reality with dignity, support, and the recognition that their persistence is, in itself, a profound achievement.
As Jungenberg concludes, the only way forward is through. For the patient, that journey is long, fraught with triggers, and often lonely. But by changing the language we use, we can ensure that the patient does not have to walk that path alone, and that their struggle is recognized for what it truly is: a testament to the enduring human spirit.
