How Therapy May Help in Navigating Chronic Medical Conditions
Therapy can be a crucial part of your overall healthcare when navigating chronic conditions.
Navigating chronic medical conditions can be difficult, especially when we also have so many other aspects of our life that do not pause or slow for us. However, psychotherapy can provide an incredibly useful part of your treatment plan as you navigate your condition(s). In addition to medical interventions, therapy can be an important complement to other treatment you may be pursuing. Having my own firsthand experience with navigating chronic conditions, I can attest to the myriad of ways in which therapy and therapeutic principles have helped me. Some of these include:
Helping with pain/discomfort
Addressing burnout (both for the patient and caregivers)
Providing a judgment-free space to discuss thoughts and feelings related to chronic conditions
Addressing sleep and other issues that may exacerbate the condition(s)
Addressing issues related to compliance with the treatment
Facilitating changes that may improve mood/reduce anxiety and depression
Navigating relationship issues as they relate to chronic medical conditions
How, you may ask, can therapy help with all of this? Well, there is actually a very strong evidence base supporting the use of psychotherapeutic interventions in medical settings (Gordon et al., 2021; Ruskin et al., 2021; Shokrgozar et al. 2021). In fact, many medical centers have psychologists embedded within medical specialties such as oncology units, primary care units, women health, etc. These psychologists have specialized training in utilizing evidence-based interventions to address any number of concerns (including those listed above) as they relate to patient’s medical care.
Evidence-based interventions for chronic medical conditions
An evidence-based intervention is a form of therapy that has research supporting it’s efficacy for a particular concern. Within psychology, this typically refers to a psychotherapy for a particular diagnosis or issue, such as depression, social anxiety, OCD, etc. For chronic medical conditions, some of these evidence-based interventions include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic headaches; acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain; cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for IBS; cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia and various others.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
A discussion with your medical provider and therapist can help determine if psychotherapy can be helpful in addition to other medical treatments and interventions. Working together with your treatment team can help ensure that all providers are on the same page in terms of how best to support you. Feel free to give me a call today if you have any questions about how therapy can help complement your medical treatments for chronic conditions.
*Note: therapy is not a replacement for medical interventions; rather, it is a complement. Psychotherapy in and of itself is not a cure for medical conditions. If you’re experiencing medical symptoms, please also consult with a physician.
References
Gordon, R. M., Dahan, J. F., Wolfson, J. B., Fults, E., Lee, Y. S. C., Smith-Wexler, L., ... & McGiffin, J. N. (2021). Existential–Humanistic and Relational Psychotherapy During COVID-19 With Patients With Preexisting Medical Conditions. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 61(4), 470-492.
Ruskin, D., Young, M., Sugar, C., & Nofech-Mozes, J. (2021). Mindfulness and acceptance interventions for parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with chronic medical conditions: a systematic review. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 27(2), 120-135.
Shokrgozar, A., SepahMansour, M., EmamiPour, S., & Salehi, M. (2021). Comparison of the Effectiveness of Positivist Psychotherapy with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Pain Perception of Males with Chronic Low-Back Pain. Community Health Journal, 14(4), 45-54.
