How is illness characterized on the health continuum?

Illness is characterized on the health continuum as a state of being relatively unhealthy. This concept acknowledges that health is not a binary state of being either healthy or ill; rather, it exists on a spectrum. At one end lies complete wellness, while at the other is severe illness or disability. Being relatively unhealthy indicates that an individual may experience various degrees of symptoms or discomfort but does not necessarily indicate that they are in a state of total ill health. This perspective allows healthcare providers to assess an individual's health condition more comprehensively, addressing not only the presence of disease but also the overall well-being of the individual.

In this context, characters such as complete wellness and total health do not truly represent illness. While chronic conditions without symptoms can exist, they don't adequately describe the experience of illness on the continuum, which involves a range of health experiences and potential functional impairments.