Having a chronic illness is hard physically. But the emotional demands can be even more challenging, for patients and families both. The good news is that learning to manage difficult emotions can bring us to a more positive outlook on life and better relationships than we ever had before.

What emotions does chronic illness bring up, and why? 

• Grief – feelings of sorrow and pain over things we have lost. Read more.
• Anger – feeling mad at the world or your family for making you sick, at your doctors for not helping, or at yourself for not taking care of your body. Read more.
• Fear – Worrying about what the illness will bring you. What will I lose next? Will I sink into poverty? Will this illness kill me? How is my illness hurting people around me? Read more.
• Frustration – Why isn’t anything working? Why can’t I change as my doctor and family want me to do? Why don’t people help more? Why don’t they understand what I’m going through? Read more.

All these feelings are normal and can be successfully managed. But if they are not, they can put one at risk for depression. Depression is a complicating factor in most chronic conditions. It makes self-management and all of life more difficult. If you’ve reached that point, read more about what to do.