Having a chronic health condition can cause a whole range of emotions, as well as stress. Here’s how to find the support you need to start feeling better.

Coping with a chronic condition places a lot of demands on you. Juggling medications, getting screenings, going to multiple appointments and making lifestyle changes — they’re all important, but they can also cause a lot of stress.

At the same time, it’s natural to feel a mix of emotions, such as worry, frustration and sorrow, about your condition and treatment.

Even if you feel fine, having a chronic condition puts you at a higher risk of mental health conditions, especially depression and anxiety. Here’s how therapy with a mental health professional can help you work through what’s going on in your life — and help you feel better in the process.

Avoid copays and meet with a mental health professional as often as you need by enrolling in Mental Health Complete Plus. You can enter your ZIP code to get a price quote.

How chronic conditions can put you at higher risk of depression and anxiety

By definition, a chronic condition lasts a year or more and requires ongoing medical treatment. It can also limit your daily activities. Examples of chronic conditions include:

• Chronic pain
• Diabetes
• Heart disease

Chronic diseases often have no cure and must be managed daily, with treatment plans that may include healthy eating, exercise and medication. And that can cause a lot of stress, which could lead to anxiety and possibly depression. In fact, people with a chronic condition are more likely to develop depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Michelle Di Paolo, Ph.D., a psychotherapist and the founder of Stress and Relaxation Services of America in Plano, Texas, encourages people with chronic conditions to be proactive in seeking mental health support. “Go even before you’re experiencing depression, because you need the support,” she says. You may not realize the mental toll that a chronic condition is taking, she adds.

“The experience of chronic pain, for example, is going to be correlated with reduced quality of life,” says Di Paolo. It’s not going to make you feel so great. And that can cause you “to experience sadness, anger or a host of other complex thoughts and emotions,” she says.

What is therapy?

Therapy typically refers to “psychotherapy, also called talk therapy.” It’s a type of mental health treatment with a licensed mental healthcare provider that aims to identify, understand and address “troubling emotions, thoughts and behaviors.”

Common goals of talk therapy include:

• Reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Enhancing how you’re feeling on a daily basis
• Improving your quality of life

While therapy is usually done one-on-one with you and a mental health provider, therapy can also take place with a group of patients, for example, who have the same chronic disease.

There are different types of therapy, so it’s important to find the style that works best for you. For example, to help you change certain behaviors, a therapist might use cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, a goal-oriented type of therapy that teaches you different ways to think and behave.

Get help for anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Check out how Mental Health Complete Plus can help you get the support you need from the comfort of your own home.

Should I get therapy?

There are many reasons to consider getting therapy if you have a chronic disease. These could include:

Reason #1: Being diagnosed with a chronic disease is traumatic. Di Paolo defines trauma as “something that happens to you that’s unexpected or unusual and outside of your ability to cope effectively outside of your skill sets,” she says. A chronic condition “is going to hit each one of those checkboxes.” That trauma alone is enough to justify considering going to therapy. “Go sooner, because you’re going to need the support from a person who can teach you how to empower yourself and advocate for yourself,” she says.

Reason #2: You may not know that you’re depressed or anxious. A mental health provider can help you determine whether you’re depressed or anxious, 2 common but often overlooked mental health problems. “You may not even recognize that something’s changed in you,” Di Paolo says.

If you feel down most of the day for “at least 2 weeks” and your mood affects everyday activities, such as eating, sleeping and working, you may have depression.

Other signs of depression may include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Hopelessness
• Irritability
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Physical symptoms, such as pain or gastrointestinal issues that don’t get better with treatment

Symptoms of anxiety include feelings of worry, fear and being on edge that don’t go away.

Treatment for depression or anxiety can include therapy, medication or both.

Reason #3: Therapy can help you change your behavior. Eating a healthy diet, reaching or maintaining a healthy weight, and consistent exercise are cornerstones of self-care when you have a chronic condition.

But they may be difficult to achieve on your own. A mental health provider may be able to provide insight into challenges like these and help you troubleshoot and problem-solve solutions that work for your lifestyle.

Reason #4: Therapy can help you better manage stress. Life can be stressful by itself, and coping with having a chronic condition typically makes it even more stressful. A mental health provider can work with you to find stress-management techniques, such as meditation, increased activity and improved social support, that work for you and your lifestyle.

Therapy can also help you learn how to safely cope with difficult emotions or memories, as well as beliefs and thought patterns, that may be increasing your stress level, says Di Paolo.

How can I see a mental health professional?

If you think you might have depression or anxiety — even if you’re unsure — talk to your doctor about getting help from a mental health provider, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or clinical social worker. The sooner you get help, the sooner you’ll feel better.

You can schedule an in-person visit, or you may be able to consult a mental health professional via a video or telephone visit. One way to do this is through Mental Health Complete Plus, which offers direct access to mental health providers via phone, video or app. Call 1-844-211-7730 for more information.

For informational purposes only. This information is compiled by UnitedHealthcare and does not diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. Services and medical technologies referenced herein may not be covered under your plan. Please consult directly with your primary care physician if you need medical advice.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About chronic diseases.” May 15, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html

National Institute of Mental Health. “Anxiety disorders.” April 2024. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders?rf=32471

National Institute of Mental Health. “Depression.” March 2024. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

National Institute of Mental Health. “Psychotherapies.” February 2024. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies

National Institute of Mental Health. “Understanding the link between chronic disease and depression.” 2024. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health

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