The Benefits of Online Therapy for Chronic Illness

Over the past few years, online therapy has become far more widespread than it used to be. This is useful for anyone who might not be able to commit to in-person therapy consistently, such as people with chronic illnesses. Whether we were diagnosed years ago or last week, they take their toll on us.

Chronic illnesses are exhausting in every way, and as such, it’s not always possible to make it to an in-person session. But online therapy can be just as useful. In some cases, it might even be more helpful. And when we’re dealing with something like chronic illness, having professional support available can be invaluable.

More Accessible

For a lot of people with chronic illnesses, leaving the house isn’t an option. At least, not a reliable one. Some days, we’ll have enough strength to go out and run errands, but on others, we won’t. And therapy works best when attendance is consistent. That’s what makes online therapy more accessible.

It allows for a more flexible schedule. It’s possible to do it from home. It accommodates our irregular energy levels. It allows us to get the help we need without having to sacrifice other parts of our health. This level of accessibility is one of the benefits of online therapy that in-person therapy just doesn’t have.

Comfort

Some therapy practices can have uncomfortable settings. They might not be equipped to accommodate those of us with certain chronic illnesses. Calling from home lets us be comfortable where we are without having to figure out whether the counselor’s practice can accommodate us.

It’s also easier to open up sometimes when we’re somewhere safe. The comfort of our home can be that place. Even if the therapist isn’t in the room with us, the environment might feel safe enough for us to talk seriously and openly in a way that we wouldn’t have if we were in an unfamiliar space. In-person therapy doesn’t offer that kind of comfort.

Coping with Distress

Chronic illness goes hand-in-hand with distress, especially when it’s first diagnosed. That’s what online therapy is for, to help us cope with the reality of living with a chronic illness. It’s not easy, even if we’ve been living like this for years. There will always be something that bothers us, something that causes us distress, and after dealing with it alone for so long, it’s normal to need outside help.

Stress can have a heavy impact on our bodies. If we deal with a chronic illness that involves fatigue, any strong distress we may experience drains us further. That’s why it’s important to seek help when we need it. We don’t need to experience life like this. It can be better. Things can be manageable. And online therapy can provide us with that.

Trying Therapy

There are a lot of reasons why we may not want to try therapy. Maybe we’ve had a bad experience before, and it soured the idea of counseling for us. Or maybe we just don’t think we need it. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding therapy, and it’s understandable if we’re affected by some of that.

But the thing is, counseling helps. It helps our mental health; it helps us feel better about ourselves and in general. And the truth is, no matter what chronic illness we have or how strong our distress is, we can all benefit from what therapy offers.

The fact that it’s online instead of in-person can only benefit us. There are benefits to online therapy that accommodate us more than in-person sessions. So, why not give it a try? We don’t have anything to lose. We can only improve the way we live. Contact JoyFeel Therapy Today!