Three Ways Therapy Can Help People With Chronic Illness
Chronic illness can affect almost every part of life—including mental health. Luckily, getting the right support from a psychologist can make a big difference. In this blog, we’ll dive into impacts of chronic illness on mental health, and benefits of therapy for people with chronic illness. Along the way, we’ll hear from Dyad Psychology’s Vrinda V., LMHC, who works with people experiencing chronic health challenges.
What Is Chronic Illness?
Chronic illness is a wide category. Typically, people consider chronic illness to include medical conditions that do not go away within six months, do not have an easy cure, and will not result in death in the near future. For chronic illness, treatment usually involves learning to manage symptoms.
Some people with chronic illness have a relatively stable condition. Other people can expect to live with their chronic illness but know that it might go away. Other illnesses flare up episodically: someone might go through periods of relative sickness and relative health.
In Rhode Island, some of the most common chronic diseases are hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Other examples of chronic illnesses include cancer, multiple sclerosis, digestive disorders, movement disorders, asthma, and fibromyalgia.
How Does Chronic Illness Impact Mental Health?
As Dyad Psychology’s Vrinda V., LMHC, says, “Living with a chronic illness can touch almost every part of life.” This includes an intense impact on mental health.
First, chronic illness can have psychological effects. People with chronic illness experience more psychological distress than average, partly because the illness itself can cause psychological or emotional symptoms. For example, conditions involving activation of the immune system can have biological effects on the central nervous system that increase the risk of depression.
There’s also the physical side. Pain, fatigue, flare-ups, or limitations make it harder for people to do things they used to do with ease. The limitations of chronic illness—and the burden of managing it—can contribute to feelings of helplessness, frustration, sadness, or hopelessness. As Vrinda states, chronic illness has an “emotional weight: the frustration of plans being interrupted, the grief of missing out, or the loneliness of feeling like others don’t truly ‘get it.’”
These limitations may have difficult material consequences for people, such as lost income, or trouble maintaining relationships. For instance, chronic illness may lead to social isolation, or may come with stigma that is difficult to deal with. In addition, life with chronic illness can be unpredictable. People’s mental health especially suffers when they have illnesses that come and go. Vrinda notes, “Many people share that the invisibility of their illness makes it even harder—from the outside, they may look fine, but inside, it’s a very different story. On top of that, navigating doctors, treatments, and insurance can be exhausting in itself.”
Therapy for Chronic Illness
Psychologists, especially health psychologists, can help people cope with chronic illness. As Vrinda explains, “In therapy, I try to create a space where people feel understood and not judged. Together, we explore ways to listen to their bodies instead of fighting against them. That might mean learning pacing strategies, practicing mindfulness to ease stress and pain, or building self-compassion so they can let go of guilt when they need rest. We also talk about how to advocate for themselves with medical providers or in relationships, which can be empowering. Each person’s journey is unique, so the strategies we use are tailored to what fits their life and values.”
Here are a few ways working with a psychologist can help people cope with chronic illness.
1. Adjustment
Therapy can help people with chronic illness navigate the adjustment period. People who are newly diagnosed with illness often must make new meaning in the wake of this diagnosis. Therapists can help people who are newly diagnosed with challenges such as:
Finding a purpose in life,
Maintaining a positive outlook and navigating distress,
Bolstering their self-esteem,
Managing interpersonal relationships,
Dealing with their illness and symptoms, and
Navigating health care systems.
As Vrinda states, “One of the most meaningful parts of this work is seeing people find a sense of control again—not over the illness itself, but over how they respond to it. Therapy can help reduce the sense of isolation, strengthen relationships, and create space for joy even when symptoms are still present.”
2. Managing Anxiety and Depression
Many people with chronic illness fear the condition will progress or recur. This common fear is known as “health anxiety,” and may cause people to feel anxious about bodily changes. Health anxiety can be a useful way for people to manage their condition, yet can also become harmful to mental well-being.
Finding a therapist can help people with chronic illness learn to manage these fears. For instance, a therapist can assist someone in coping with their illness and bodily changes.
3. Coping With Pain
Chronic pain is common among people with long-term illnesses. Chronic pain can be psychologically taxing. It makes daily tasks require increased amounts of energy; can interfere with employment, family life, relationships, and social life; and can hinder sleep and lower mood.
Therapists for chronic pain can help people manage their condition. Studies have found a variety of methods of therapy help with chronic pain, including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and more.
Psychologists can help people experiencing chronic pain process their distress, as well as validate their experiences. In addition, therapy can help people regulate their pain. Therapy can reduce the intensity of pain people experience and help people cope with pain when it occurs.
Conclusion
Navigating life with a chronic illness can feel overwhelming, but finding the right support can make a profound difference. Vrinda notes that, with therapy for chronic illness, “I’ve seen clients become more confident in setting boundaries, less weighed down by self-blame, and more hopeful about their future. Living with chronic illness is undeniably hard, but therapy can be a place to build resilience, find support, and reclaim parts of life that may have felt lost.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a therapist who understands chronic illness?
You can start by searching for a health psychologist or a therapist who lists experience with chronic illness, medical conditions, or chronic pain on their professional profile. Don't be afraid to ask potential therapists about their experience working with people who have conditions similar to yours during an initial consultation.
Can therapy help with physical symptoms like pain or fatigue?
While therapy doesn't cure physical symptoms, it can be incredibly effective in helping you manage them. In fact, research shows that therapy can help people cope with pain and reduce the amount of pain they experience.
How can therapy help people with chronic illness?
A psychologist can help someone with chronic illness adjust to their diagnosis in many ways, such as helping someone maintain a positive outlook, manage interpersonal relationships, and navigate health care systems. Therapy for chronic illness can also help people manage anxiety and depression, and cope with chronic pain.