Chronic Disease Counseling

Are You Tired Of Living With A Chronic Illness?

Is a chronic or congenital illness holding you back from your full potential? Do you wish you could live a normal life and focus on other things besides managing your pain? Are you sick of having to explain yourself to people who don’t understand what life with your condition is like? 

Dealing with a chronic or congenital disease is exhausting. Your illness means you have to go through life with so many extra considerations wherever you are. Will this activity cause a flareup? Should I tell my friends I can’t stay out late? Should I cancel plans because of my pain today? These questions probably run through your mind constantly. 

Life With A Chronic Disease Can Be Lonely And Alienating 

Naturally, you might feel jealous of people whose bodies are healthy and whose lives are more predictable. Perhaps you feel alienated from most of the people around you. No matter how much your loved ones try to help you and encourage you, they just don’t understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. 

A chronic or congenital condition can take a huge emotional toll on you. That’s why therapy is so important. Here at Heart & Mind Counseling, we want to help you stay grounded during your flareups and manage the stress of life with a chronic health issue. 

People With Chronic And Congenital Illnesses Often Face Judgment And Invalidation  

Chronic and congenital diseases are everywhere in our world today, yet many people with them suffer in silence. Oftentimes, the sickness is invisible—you can’t tell the person is ill just by looking at them. As a result, many chronically-ill people have to deal with lots of judgmental and invalidating remarks, such as “You seem perfectly healthy” or “You should be fortunate you don’t have something worse.” 

What’s more, even those who are supportive and encouraging aren’t always helpful. If you’re chronically ill, people who are healthy just can’t understand what you’re going through. They don’t know what it’s like to live such an unpredictable life where you have to consider how your pain will affect everything you do. And in the end, they’re not the ones paying your bills, finding your housing, or providing you with healthcare—you’re left to your own devices on those issues.

If you wish you had someone in your life who understood your pain, we encourage you to pursue therapy with us. Our chronic illness counselor, Dr. Corinne Smorra, has lived her whole life with a congenital heart disease and is one of only five therapists in the nation specializing in treating people with the condition. 

Chronic Disease Counseling Can Help You Find Joy In The Midst Of Your Pain 

Part of you may have trouble opening up about your health. We get it. You’re probably used to people telling you to just stay strong, keep your head up, and be grateful you don’t have something worse. Here at Heart & Mind Counseling, we’re not going to say any of that. Instead, we want to provide compassion and validation and let you speak your mind freely. 

With us, you’re allowed to be vulnerable and have breakdowns. You’re allowed to vent, cry, and share things you’re afraid to tell anyone else. We want you to feel heard, seen, and understood in a way that you haven’t before. Based on Corinne’s personal and professional experience, we believe that she can relate to you on a deeper level and help you find fulfillment in spite of your pain.

What To Expect In Chronic Illness Counseling Sessions

Our approach is deep and comprehensive, but also very practical. Together, we’ll explore any adjustments you can make to ease your pain and stress levels. Do you need to expand your support system? Are there accommodations you can use in school or the workplace? What are some coping skills that can help you manage downturns and flareups? Answering these questions can help you make small improvements in each area of your life, physical, emotional, and environmental. 

Additionally, we’ll work on helping you deal with the judgments and invalidation you face. Your condition may cause extra anxiety about dating and making friends. Perhaps you worry that other people will reject you because of your health. Counseling can help you stay grounded and serene even when the outside world is cruel.

Tailoring Your Treatment Plan

The approach we take depends on what works best for you. Oftentimes, our practice uses cognitive therapy for reframing negative thoughts and beliefs. Maybe you sometimes feel defective or think that your condition defines you. Our goal is to help you question the things you tell yourself and improve your sense of self-worth.

We also draw from EMDR, which is a more trauma-focused approach to the healing process. After all, living with a chronic or congenital illness can be traumatic and cause PTSD symptoms. EMDR can help you process the emotional toll of your condition and recover from traumatic surgeries and medical procedures. 

Ultimately, we believe that being able to talk about your illness openly can be emotionally and physically freeing. We want you to learn how to regulate your stress and find joy even in the midst of your pain.

You May Have Some Questions About Chronic And Congenital Disease Counseling…

If my chronic disease won’t go away, why should I even bother with counseling? 

Believe it or not, you should bother! Having negative thoughts and feelings of anxiety can sap your energy and make your pain worse. After all, your mind and body are connected. Unloading some of the mental and emotional baggage of your condition can give you some much-needed relief.

Will dwelling on my thoughts and feeling make them worse?

Chronic illness counseling can help you make peace with your situation. While it may sound counterintuitive, doing so can actually help your mental health symptoms and make life with your illness easier. Ignoring or suppressing your thoughts and feelings usually makes matters worse. At Heart & Mind Counseling, you will learn to recognize unhealthy patterns in your thinking and use that knowledge to make long-lasting improvements in your life. 

I have no time for therapy. I’m in survival mode right now. 

We hear you. Being in “survival mode” makes a lot of sense when you have a chronic or congenital disease. It’s as if no other priorities exist and you can’t be bothered to think about your mental health. The problem is that although survival mode is an effective coping tool, you cannot stay in survival mode forever. Chronic disease counseling can help you prepare for when you get out of it and your emotions return to the forefront.

You Can Live A Joyful And Fulfilling Life With A Chronic Condition

Living with a chronic or congenital illness does not have to hold you back from achieving your hopes and dreams. If anyone understands this, it’s our therapist Corinne Smorra. To connect with her, you can send an email (by filling out the section at the bottom of the page) or call 707-815-0374 for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

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