Coping With Chronic Illness: 8 Ways to Support Your Mental Health

A chronic illness is a disease that lasts at least 1 year. This type of illness requires constant medical attention. And it may also limit daily activities, including self-care, work, and socialization.

If you live with a physical chronic illness, you may struggle with anxiety or depression. Your illness may cause emotional pain or physical and social isolation. Loved ones who don’t have chronic illness may not understand your condition. And friends may be confused by the lifestyle changes that come with it.

But there are ways to cope with physical chronic illness and manage the impact it can have on your life. Here are eight tips to help you cope with chronic illness and its effects on your mental health, autonomy, and joy.

8 ways to cope with chronic illness 

The good news is that there are several self-management methods that can help you cope with chronic illness. These tools won’t cure your illness. But they can help you improve your quality of life.

1. Active coping

Active coping can help you regain a feeling of control over your experience of chronic illness. With active coping, the first step is gathering information about your illness. You then use problem-solving techniques to manage your illness from an empowered perspective. This new perspective can help lower physical pain, depression, and anxiety. And it can also help you feel more confident about expressing your needs.

Here are some examples of active coping techniques to try: 

• Take a list of questions about your chronic illness to your next appointment with your healthcare provider.

• Join an online community of people with your illness who share resources.

• Research ways to cope with chronic illness stress — like the techniques listed below.

• Set alarms so that you take your medications on time.

• Reorganize your space so that it’s less painful to move or rest in.

2. Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy. With CBT, you explore the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. You then learn how to effectively manage them during stressful situations. 

Working with a cognitive behavioral therapist, you’ll identify:

• Recurring thoughts, emotions, and actions related to your experiences with chronic illness

• Coping skills to manage those feelings and reactions

• Lifestyle changes to reduce the occurrence of stressful situations

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Your therapist won’t try to improve your symptoms or cure your illness. But they’ll help you better manage the mental and emotional experiences of living with a chronic illness. 

3. Mindfulness-based stress reduction

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a popular form of meditation training that focuses on attention, observation, and awareness. MBSR meditation techniques include:

• Breathing exercises

• Sitting or standing meditation

• Gentle yoga

• Guided hypnotherapy

If you have a chronic illness, MSBR can help teach you how to:

• Identify physical sensations

• Observe your thoughts and feelings about those sensations

• Consider bodily sensations without judgment

• Become aware of how you would like to respond to those sensations

As a result, you learn to treat yourself with less judgment and more compassion. This reduces the anxiety, stress, and depression of living with a chronic illness.

4. Pacing

Pacing is a self-management practice that helps you avoid physically overdoing it. Pacing can be especially helpful for those with chronic fatigue or post-exertional malaise.

With pacing, you explore:

• How much energy you have in a typical day

• How much energy it takes to do routine tasks

• Which tasks you most want to do on a given day

• How resting between activities helps you complete those tasks without exacerbating your illness

Spoon theory is a pacing strategy that uses spoons to represent physical units of energy. This strategy may help you better understand pacing if you’re new to the practice.

5. Self-compassion

A new chronic illness can cause you to feel vulnerability, frustration, and shame. You may feel frustrated that you can no longer do things you could in the past. Or you may blame yourself for being ill. But your chronic illness is not your fault. 

To release yourself from difficult emotions, try this self-compassion practice:

• Consider the bigger picture. Other people share your health struggles. Remember, you’re not alone in these experiences or feelings.

• Let go of self-judgment. You are not causing your chronic illness. You live with a lot of pain. It makes sense that you struggle emotionally at times.

• Embrace self-care. You deserve to treat yourself with extra kindness. Practice active coping methods that feel kind and nurturing. Let yourself choose things that make you happy.

6. Social capital

Social capital is the set of values we share with those we love. It can be hard to maintain relationships when you have a chronic illness. But when you surround yourself with people who value your health, you’re more likely to eat well, attend medical appointments, and exercise.

Here are some ways to strengthen your relationships if you have a chronic illness:

• Consider activities you can do, then invite your friends to join you in these safe activities.

• Find places to meet others with shared interests, like a book club, class, or gaming group.

• Invite loved ones to witness your experience with chronic illness so they can learn how to support you.

7. Distraction

If you’re living with a chronic illness, distraction can help you detach when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Unlike active coping techniques, distraction activities are unrelated to your chronic illness. 

Here are some distracting activities to consider:

• Watch a movie marathon featuring your favorite director, actor, or genre.

• Create a social media profile where you only follow accounts of things that make you happy, like animals, knitting, or fashion.

• Spend time on a puzzle, coloring book, or games like Sudoku and Wordle.

• During medical appointments, imagine that you’re at a place you love, like the beach.

8. Coping self-statements

Staying positive won’t cure your chronic illness. But when you’re feeling overwhelmed, converting a negative thought into an empowering one can help you feel more in control of the experience.

Here are some examples of how to turn painful thoughts into coping self-statements: 

• This pain is going to last forever. Instead, try: This pain won’t last forever.

• This pain is stronger than me. Instead, try: I am stronger than this pain.

• I can’t control this pain. Instead, try: I can manage my response to this pain.

• I can’t take this anymore. Instead, try: No matter how bad it gets, I’ve got this.

• I hate that I’m not strong enough for this. Instead, try: I’m proud of how I’m handling this.

Why can it be difficult to cope with chronic illness?

A chronic illness diagnosis can bring a lot of uncertainty. With a new chronic illness, you may:

• No longer be able to pursue previously held work or life goals

• Not be able to share activities with friends that once filled your life with joy

• Find yourself isolated while you manage your chronic illness 

• Spend time in medical appointments, where you have little control over the experience

• Have trouble with routine activities like shopping, driving, or cleaning

A common psychological reaction to living with a chronic illness is to feel vulnerable about the lack of control you have over your life. Because of this, people living with a chronic illness are more likely to experience depression than their peers who don’t have a chronic illness. 

What additional support is available for people living with chronic illness?

An estimated 6 out of 10 American adults have a chronic disease. This means that if you have a chronic illness, many people share your experiences. Here are some resources to help you learn more:

• CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Multiple Chronic Conditions Resource Center

• Center for Chronic Illness support groups finder

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Written by:

Jacqueline Raposo

Jacqueline Raposo is a freelance writer who specializes in creating well-reported, engaging, and accessible stories about food, health, illness/disability, and intentional living. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of Connecticut and has taught creative movement, playwriting, and public speaking in the United States and abroad.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

India B. Gomez, PhD

India B. Gomez, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a certificate in Latin American Family Therapy. She completed her doctoral education at the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University.

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