Navigating the medical system can be discouraging, especially when there are barriers to receiving care or clear answers.
Have you recently gotten a new medical diagnosis? Have you been struggling with chronic pain for years? Have you been suffering with chronic illness? Or maybe you have some symptoms you don’t understand and you know there is something else going on. It is important to pursue appropriate medical care from a physician and yet, your journey in the medical system might be confusing, inaccessible, and expensive. This can create stress and frustration, on top of the symptoms you are already experiencing due to your condition. Therapy can help.
Signs and symptoms that can be improved with therapy.
Thought patterns in reaction to symptoms of condition (e.g., pain, limitations on activities or mobility).
Behavioral patterns or avoidance
Anxiety related to doctor’s appointments
Difficulty managing or keeping up with activities of daily life
Overexertion and subsequent depletion (e.g. effort then crash or flare)
Feeling isolated or alone, like the people around you don’t understand your condition or what you are experiencing.
How Can Counseling Help with Chronic Health Conditions?
There are several components to therapy that can be helpful with chronic health diagnoses. There are practical things we can do such as:
Goal-setting: we can think about what you want your life to look like and plan concrete steps to get there
Habit-tracking: we can build new habits that will help improve your wellbeing
Taking Action: we can help you achieve clarity about what is important to you, what changes are aligned with your values, and how to get started.
Like most things, counseling won’t be a cure all - but it can help as part of an integrative, multi-faceted approach to managing your condition and symptoms.
There are also several therapy methods that we can use that provide different benefits:
CBT has the most comprehensive research of almost any other type of therapy for chronic pain management or therapy for those living with significant health concerns. CBT can help you to change the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are contributing to how you feel
Somatic awareness helps you feel more at ease in your body.
Mindfulness practices help you to monitor and manage fluctuating energy levels, capacity for activity, and respond to your own physical/mental/emotional needs.
EMDR can help with any trauma or painful memories you have including medical trauma.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you to align with your values and make the changes necessary while learning to accept what you can’t control.
Therapy provides support and connection when you might be feeling isolated, misunderstood, or in need of some guidance. We are here to help.
Your concept of self may have changed.
You might not be able to do all the activities you once loved, or you may be limited in your abilities. Maybe you’re having trouble performing the way you used to. Chronic pain or illness can lead to a lot of suffering over the way it changes your life and that’s why therapy can be so helpful. It can also change the relationship you have to your body, and even your concept of your identity. This is all totally normal and you are not alone. We are here to help.
Your relationships might have changed.
It’s hard to get a new diagnosis or to live with chronic pain or chronic illness. You could have questions like who should I share this information with? What does this mean for my partner, family members, friends? If it feels like the relationships in your life are starting to change or people are treating you differently, it’s important to get support.
It’s hard to accept a new diagnosis or chronic illness
When you are newly diagnosed, it may be difficult to grapple with and incorporate what this new information means for your life and your future. You might find yourself wishing for a miraculous recovery. You may go through a process of thinking the diagnosis could be wrong or a mistake. You may experience a sense of loss - for who you were, the activities you enjoyed, hopes and plans for the future. With patience, self-compassion, and courageously processing these challenging feelings - you can walk through that valley and come out the other side.
Chronic illness and chronic pain can be isolating
Have you had people in your life who don’t know or don’t understand your condition? Maybe they don’t know what to say or how to connect with you. You may not be able to do the things you once enjoyed, including socializing. It can be hard to deal with the isolation of these conditions, which is why therapy for chronic health conditions can be helpful.
It hurts to be judged for your health conditions
You may have had past experiences with people not believing you (especially with so-called “invisible illnesses”), making insensitive comments, or minimizing/invalidating your experience. Therapy is a helpful way to recapture your confidence and find peace with who you are.
Do you feel guilty? Do you blame yourself for your health condition?
Although an integrative approach (e.g., stress management, dietary changes, physical activity) can be a valuable component of managing your health - be careful about falling into the trap of thinking that it is your fault you are ill. (“If only I ate the perfect diet, I wouldn’t be sick…”). At the end of the day there are so many factors that lead to chronic health conditions and rather than getting caught up in all or nothing thinking, we can focus on small, attainable steps toward feeling better. Our take on therapy is to be as non-judgmental and compassionate as possible. We are always in your corner.
What is Toxic Positivity? How does it affect your mental health?
Toxic positivity is when people dismiss or minimize real pain and difficulty by trying to give false reassurances. A common example is if you are trying to share what you’ve been going through and they respond with “just think happy thoughts!” Mind-body approaches and mindset work can be powerful tools; but overly simplistic platitudes are not generally helpful and hearing or buying into them might cause more harm than good. For example, learning about the evidence for the practice of gratitude journaling might be more helpful and effective than insisting upon “good vibes only”.
Start Therapy for Chronic Pain &/or Illness in Asheville, NC. Contact us for a Free Consultation.
Living with chronic pain or other symptoms of a long lasting illness is stressful and many people are surprised to find out how much counseling can help.
If you are looking for support managing chronic pain or coping with symptoms of your illness in Asheville, NC, our counselors would love to help. To get started,
Contact our counseling office to schedule a free consultation,
Meet with a therapist who specializes in chronic pain/illness support,
Begin individual therapy & begin to live life more fully
Other Mental Health Services Available at Strive On Counseling
As Asheville therapists, we understand that every individual has a unique set of mental health needs. Therefore, we offer many services and forms of therapy. More specifically, our services include individual counseling, anxiety treatment, EMDR trauma therapy, therapy for men’s issues, mindfulness, buddhist counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, teletherapy / online therapy. Some other resources we offer include guided meditations, supplements, a list of books and other useful resources, and online courses. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today, and start doing therapy in North Carolina!