Living with a chronic health condition, whether it’s chronic pain, diabetes, an autoimmune condition, heart disease or something else, affects far more than the body. It can change your energy, your plans, your relationships and how you see yourself.
The Emotional Side of Chronic Illness
It’s common to feel a mix of emotions: frustration, grief, fear about the future, guilt about needing help or anger at your body. Depression and anxiety are more common in people with chronic health conditions, and they can make physical symptoms harder to manage (Clarke & Currie, 2009).
Grief for the Life You Expected
Many people with chronic illness experience a kind of grief. You may miss activities, work or roles you used to have, or feel a loss of the future you imagined. This grief is real, and it can come and go over time.
Impact on Relationships
Chronic illness can change how you relate to partners, family and friends. Roles may shift, plans may change and others may not fully understand what you’re going through. Open communication about needs, limits and feelings can help everyone adjust.
What Can Help
Pace yourself. Balancing activity and rest can help you manage energy and avoid boom-and-bust cycles.
Focus on what matters. Even when some things aren’t possible, you can still move toward what you value in small ways. Approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) have been shown to help people living with chronic pain improve functioning and quality of life (Hughes et al., 2017).
Be kind to yourself. Self-criticism adds weight to an already heavy load. Try speaking to yourself as you would to a friend.
Build your team. Working with your medical providers, and having emotional support, can make a real difference.
When to Reach Out for Support
If you’re feeling low, anxious, isolated or overwhelmed by your health condition, therapy can help you adjust, cope with uncertainty and find meaning and connection alongside your illness. Therapy works best alongside, not instead of, your medical care.
References
Clarke, D. M., & Currie, K. C. (2009). Depression, anxiety and their relationship with chronic diseases: A review of the epidemiology, risk and treatment evidence. Medical Journal of Australia, 190(S7), S54-S60.
Hughes, L. S., Clark, J., Colclough, J. A., Dale, E., & McMillan, D. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Clinical Journal of Pain, 33(6), 552-568.
How Core Psychology Can Help
At Core Psychology, our clinicians offer individual therapy, anxiety therapy and depression counselling, in person in Marda Loop, Calgary, and online across Alberta.
We offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to answer your questions and help you find the right fit. You can also reach us at info@corepsychology.com.
If you’re in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 any time, or call 911.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional assessment or therapy.
