Whether you have recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, or if you’ve been managing for a while now, either way, it isn’t easy. So many things in life change once illness enters your world. Suddenly things just aren’t the same anymore, and the desire to go back to your former life runs deep. Counseling for chronic illness can help.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 6 in 10 Americans are living with a chronic illness….more than half of the population.

Managing a chronic illness comes with managing many of the following stressors:

• Changes in mobility
• Changes in energy level
• Relationship changes
• Workload changes
• Financial strain
• Medication management
• Side effects
• Lifestyle changes
• Managing doctor appointments

It’s no wonder that managing these stressors may put you at higher risk for developing symptoms of anxiety and depression as well. It may feel like you’re sacrificing more and more each day just to get by. Feelings of loneliness and isolation creep in as well as you begin to see other people living a “pain free life.” Soon enough, the chronic illness becomes the center of your focus. Chronic illness counseling can help you learn tools to assist you in managing your illness in a different way.

Most commonly, counseling for chronic illness incorporates components from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is an empirically-supported treatment that examines the relationships between one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. How you are viewing and processing the illness can actually impact how the illness itself is experienced. By targeting negative thought patterns, and shifting behavior to things that are still within your control, you can work towards improving your quality of life. Additionally, we like to discuss with you the things that you value in life, and we’ll work with you to create a plan where these things can be incorporated once again.