Summary
Chronic illness refers to a health condition that lasts for a long period of time and may require ongoing management, treatment or support. Some chronic illnesses are present from childhood, while others develop later in life. They can include conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, chronic pain conditions, asthma and many others. Chronic illnesses can vary significantly in their symptoms, severity and impact, and a person’s experience may change over time.
Living with a chronic illness can affect much more than physical health. Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, reduced mobility, sleep difficulties, nausea, breathlessness or changes in concentration can make everyday activities more difficult. Someone may need to manage medication, medical appointments, treatment routines or dietary changes alongside education, work, relationships and other responsibilities. Symptoms can also fluctuate, meaning that someone may be able to do an activity one day but struggle with it on another. This can make it difficult to predict how much energy or capacity they will have and may require them to regularly adjust their plans.
Chronic illness can also have an impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing. Living with ongoing symptoms, uncertainty or changes to everyday life can contribute to feelings such as frustration, sadness, anxiety, anger, loneliness or grief. Someone may grieve changes to their independence, routines, relationships, work, education or activities they previously enjoyed. They may also experience worries about their health, the future or whether their symptoms will worsen. These emotional responses do not mean that someone is struggling to cope or that their symptoms are not physical; physical health and mental health can influence each other.
The impact of chronic illness can sometimes be difficult for other people to see, particularly when symptoms are invisible or fluctuate. Someone may look well while experiencing significant pain, fatigue or cognitive difficulties. This can lead to misunderstandings, pressure to do more than they are able to manage or feelings of guilt about needing rest or support. People may also have to repeatedly explain their condition to others or advocate for reasonable adjustments at school, university or work.
Although chronic illness can bring significant challenges, it does not define someone’s whole identity or mean that they cannot have meaningful relationships, pursue their goals or enjoy their life. Support, appropriate treatment, reasonable adjustments and understanding from others can help someone manage the practical and emotional impact of their condition. It is important to recognise the individual person’s experience rather than making assumptions based on their diagnosis or how they appear from the outside.
How to help myself
Learn as much as you feel comfortable with about your condition and how it affects you. Understanding your symptoms, treatment and possible triggers can make it easier to recognise changes and communicate your needs to healthcare professionals and the people around you. Keeping a record of symptoms, energy levels, pain, sleep, medication and activities can also help you identify patterns and notice what tends to make things better or worse. Try not to compare your capacity with other people’s, as the same condition can affect different people in very different ways.
Pace yourself and try to balance activity with rest. If your symptoms fluctuate, planning your day around your available energy can help you avoid doing too much on a better day and becoming exhausted afterwards. Breaking larger tasks into smaller steps, taking regular breaks and prioritising what is most important can make everyday activities more manageable. Remember that resting does not mean you are lazy or unproductive; giving your body time to recover can be an important part of managing a chronic illness.
Be flexible with your expectations and recognise that your capacity may change from one day to another. You may need to cancel plans, change how you complete a task or ask for help when your symptoms are worse. This does not mean that you have failed or are letting other people down. Where possible, focus on what you can do rather than judging yourself for what you cannot manage on a particular day.
Look after your emotional wellbeing as well as your physical health. Living with a chronic illness can involve frustration, grief, anxiety, low mood or worries about the future. Give yourself permission to acknowledge these feelings rather than feeling that you have to remain positive all the time. Talking to someone you trust, journalling, spending time doing things you enjoy or using relaxation and grounding techniques may help you manage difficult emotions.
Stay connected with people who understand and support you. It can be helpful to explain to friends, family or colleagues how your condition affects you and what kind of support is useful. If you find it difficult to explain your needs, writing them down or discussing them with a healthcare professional may help. Consider asking about reasonable adjustments at work, school or university if your condition is affecting your ability to participate in the same way as others.
Continue to engage with activities that are meaningful to you, while adapting them when necessary. You may need to change how, when or how often you do something rather than giving it up completely. Finding accessible ways to maintain hobbies, relationships and routines can help you retain a sense of identity and enjoyment alongside managing your condition.
Follow the treatment and self-management plan agreed with your healthcare professionals and ask questions if something is unclear or difficult to manage. Let them know if your symptoms change, treatment is causing difficulties or your condition is having a significant impact on your everyday life or emotional wellbeing. You do not have to manage everything alone, and asking for support is a valid part of living with a chronic illness.
How to help a loved one
Try to understand their condition and how it affects them rather than making assumptions based on how they look or what they are able to do. Chronic illness can involve symptoms that are not visible, and someone’s capacity may change from one day to the next. Avoid assuming that they are feeling well simply because they look well or were able to do something previously. Ask how they are feeling and what they need rather than deciding for them.
Be understanding when their plans or abilities change. Someone may need to cancel plans, take more breaks or leave an activity early because of their symptoms. Try not to interpret this as a lack of interest or effort. Being flexible with plans and offering alternatives can help them remain involved without feeling pressured to do more than they can manage.
Offer practical support while respecting their independence. Depending on their needs, this might include helping with shopping, cooking, cleaning, transport, appointments or other responsibilities. Ask what would actually be helpful rather than taking over, as the type and amount of support someone needs may change over time. Giving them choices and allowing them to remain involved in decisions can help them maintain a sense of control.
Remember that chronic illness can affect someone’s emotional wellbeing as well as their physical health. They may experience frustration, anxiety, sadness, anger, loneliness or grief about changes to their health and everyday life. Give them space to talk about these feelings without immediately trying to find a solution or telling them to stay positive. Sometimes listening and acknowledging that something is difficult can be more helpful than trying to make the situation better.
Avoid comparing their experience with other people’s. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different symptoms, levels of functioning and treatment needs. Comments such as “but you managed it yesterday” or “you don’t look ill” can make someone feel misunderstood and may discourage them from explaining when they are struggling. Take what they tell you about their symptoms and capacity seriously.
Support them to maintain meaningful parts of their life where possible. This might mean adapting activities, choosing shorter or quieter plans, helping them access hobbies or finding ways to stay connected with friends and family. Try to focus on what they can still enjoy and participate in rather than defining their life entirely around their illness.
Encourage them to seek appropriate medical or psychological support if their symptoms or emotional wellbeing are becoming difficult to manage. You could offer to help them arrange an appointment, attend with them if they want you to or help them communicate what they have been experiencing. However, respect their choices and avoid pressuring them into treatment or making decisions about their healthcare on their behalf.
Finally, remember to look after yourself too. Supporting someone with a chronic illness can sometimes involve practical, emotional or caring responsibilities that can be demanding. Make sure you have opportunities to rest, maintain your own relationships and ask for support when you need it. Supporting someone does not mean that you have to manage everything for them.
Myth Buster
Myth: You can tell if someone is chronically ill by looking at them
Truth: Many chronic illnesses involve invisible or fluctuating symptoms. Someone may look well while experiencing pain, fatigue, cognitive difficulties or other significant symptoms
Myth: If someone can do something one day, they should be able to do it every day
Truth: Symptoms and energy levels can change significantly from day to day. Being able to complete an activity on one day does not mean someone will have the same capacity the next day
Myth: Chronic illness means someone is always unwell
Truth: Chronic illnesses can fluctuate. Someone may have periods where their symptoms are well managed or less noticeable, alongside periods where their condition has a greater impact on their everyday life
Myth: Resting means someone is lazy
Truth: Rest and recovery can be an important part of managing chronic illness. Someone may need to rest or pace themselves to prevent their symptoms from becoming worse or to conserve energy for essential activities
Myth: Chronic illness only affects physical health
Truth: Living with a long-term health condition can also affect emotional wellbeing. Pain, fatigue, uncertainty, changes in independence and difficulties with everyday activities can contribute to stress, anxiety, low mood, frustration or grief
Myth: People with chronic illnesses just need to think positively
Truth: Positive thinking cannot remove physical symptoms or the practical difficulties caused by a chronic illness. Someone can remain hopeful while also experiencing difficult emotions about their health
Myth: Everyone with the same chronic illness will experience it in the same way
Truth: Chronic illnesses can affect people differently. Symptoms, severity, treatment, triggers and day-to-day capacity can vary significantly between individuals
Myth: Asking for help means someone is not independent
Truth: Appropriate support can help someone conserve their energy, manage symptoms and remain involved in the things that matter to them. Needing support does not mean that someone has lost their independence
Myth: Chronic illness is only difficult when symptoms are severe
Truth: Managing appointments, medication, treatment, uncertainty and changes to everyday routines can also be demanding. The emotional and practical impact of living with a chronic illness is not always directly related to how severe someone’s symptoms appear to others
Myth: If someone’s chronic illness affects their mental health, it means the symptoms are all in their head
Truth: Physical and mental health can influence each other, but emotional difficulties do not make physical symptoms imaginary or less real. Someone can experience genuine physical symptoms alongside anxiety, low mood, stress or other emotional difficulties
Support
If living with a chronic illness is affecting your physical health, emotional wellbeing or ability to manage everyday life, speaking to someone you trust can be a helpful starting point. This could be a family member, friend, teacher, employer, university support service or another trusted person who can listen and help you think about what support might be useful. You do not need to wait until things become overwhelming before asking for help.
A GP or other healthcare professional can provide support with managing the physical and emotional impact of a chronic illness. They can review changes in symptoms, discuss treatment and self-management options, and consider whether further assessment or referral is appropriate. If you are experiencing persistent anxiety, low mood, distress or difficulties adjusting to changes in your health, let your healthcare professional know, as psychological support may also be available.
Support may also be available through school, college, university or work. Depending on your circumstances, reasonable adjustments could include additional breaks, flexible deadlines or working hours, changes to how tasks are completed, quieter environments, accessible facilities or adjustments to workload. Disability services, occupational health, pastoral teams, SENCOs or workplace wellbeing services may be able to help identify appropriate adjustments.
Occupational therapy (OT) may be helpful when a chronic illness is affecting someone’s ability to manage everyday activities. An OT can look at how someone uses their energy, identify barriers to daily functioning and suggest practical adaptations, equipment or strategies to make activities more manageable while supporting independence.
Family, friends and carers can also provide practical support with activities such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, transport or attending appointments. It can be helpful to communicate openly about changing needs, as the amount of support someone requires may vary depending on their symptoms and energy levels.
If a chronic illness is having a significant impact on someone’s emotional wellbeing, psychological support may help them process changes, manage difficult emotions and develop ways of coping with uncertainty or changes in their everyday life. Seeking support does not mean that someone is unable to cope; appropriate support can help them manage their condition while continuing to participate in the parts of life that are important to them.
Therapy interventions
Therapy does not treat the underlying chronic illness itself, but psychological interventions can help someone manage the emotional and psychological impact of living with a long-term health condition. The most appropriate approach will depend on the individual’s needs, symptoms and circumstances.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – Can help someone explore the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, including difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, health-related worries, guilt or unhelpful beliefs about their abilities and limitations.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Can help someone make space for difficult thoughts and emotions while identifying their values and finding meaningful ways to live alongside the challenges associated with their condition.
- Mindfulness-Based Approaches – Can support awareness of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations without automatically reacting to them, which may help with stress, anxiety and coping with ongoing symptoms.
- Counselling – Provides a supportive space to explore the emotional impact of living with chronic illness, including grief, frustration, changes in identity, relationships, independence and uncertainty about the future.
- Problem-Solving Therapy – Can help someone identify practical difficulties associated with their condition and develop manageable strategies for responding to challenges in everyday life.
- Psychoeducation – Can help individuals and families understand the relationship between chronic illness, emotional wellbeing, stress, fatigue and coping, while supporting informed self-management.
- Occupational Therapy (OT) – Can provide practical support with pacing, energy conservation, adapting activities, maintaining independence and finding ways to manage everyday tasks when symptoms affect functioning.
Helplines
NHS 111 (Option 2)
NHS 111 is an NHS service providing urgent medical and mental health advice and support. It can help with mental health concerns, emotional distress, anxiety, low mood, suicidal thoughts and other urgent health problems.
Phone: For mental health support, call 111 and select the mental health option (option 2).
Opening times: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Samaritans
Samaritans is a charity providing emotional support to anyone who is struggling to cope or needs someone to talk to. They are there for people experiencing all sorts of difficulties, including stress, anxiety, loneliness, relationship or family problems, bereavement, feeling overwhelmed and concerns about mental health or suicide.
Phone: 116 123
Opening times: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Website: www.samaritans.org
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential text messaging service that provides support to anyone who is struggling to cope. It can help with a wide range of issues, including stress, anxiety, low mood, loneliness, relationship difficulties, bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, feeling overwhelmed and other mental health challenges.
Text: SHOUT to 85258
Opening times: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Website: http://www.giveusashout.org
Mind
Mind is a mental health charity providing information, advice and support for people experiencing mental health difficulties. They cover a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, loneliness, coping with difficult experiences and managing everyday life. Mind provides information to help people understand what they are experiencing, know their rights, find appropriate support and feel less alone.
Phone: 0300 123 3393
Opening times: 9am–6pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Website: www.mind.org.uk
YoungMinds
YoungMinds is a national charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. They provide information, advice and support for parents and carers who are concerned about a young person’s mental health, and help people understand mental health difficulties, find appropriate support and access useful resources. Their Parents Helpline can provide information, advice, emotional support and signposting to other services.
Parent helpline: 0808 802 5544 (9:30 am – 4 pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9:30 am – 6 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Email: parents@youngminds.org.uk
Webchat: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline/
Childline
Childline is a free service for young people to talk to a counsellor about anything. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Childline is available to anybody who is 18 years old or younger.
Phone: 0800 1111
Opening times: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
You can also find helpful resources, speak to a counsellor online or send a message on their site.
Website: www.childline.org.uk
For adults concerned about a child, the NSPCC can be contacted
NSPCC
NSPCC is a children’s charity that works to protect children and prevent abuse and neglect. They provide support and advice for adults about child abuse, neglect, child safety, online safety and children’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
Phone: 0808 800 5000
Opening times: 10 am–4 pm, Monday–Friday
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Email opening times: 11 am–4 pm, 7 days a week
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is a charity providing support for people who are struggling with their mental health or experiencing emotional distress. They support people with issues including low mood, anxiety, loneliness, stress, suicidal thoughts and difficult life experiences.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58
Opening times: 5pm–midnight, every day
Webchat: 5pm–midnight, every day
WhatsApp: Available through the CALM website
Website: www.thecalmzone.net
