When Chronic Illness Meets Anxiety: Understanding the Emotional Impact and Finding Support
Living with a chronic illness often means navigating far more than physical symptoms. For many people, chronic illness and anxiety become intertwined, creating an emotional burden that can feel just as exhausting as the illness itself.
The Overlap Between Chronic Illness and Anxiety
Chronic illness disrupts a person’s sense of safety, predictability, and control. When the body becomes unreliable, the nervous system often stays in a heightened state of alert. Over time, this can lead to anxiety that feels persistent, overwhelming, or difficult to manage.
People living with chronic illness may experience anxiety related to:
Fear of symptom flare-ups or disease progression
Medical appointments, tests, or past healthcare trauma
Uncertainty about work, finances, or relationships
Grief related to changes in identity, ability, or independence
This anxiety is not a personal failure or an overreaction — it’s a natural response to living with ongoing physical stress and uncertainty. It’s your nervous system’s way of trying to regain control.
How Chronic Illness Affects the Nervous System
Chronic pain, fatigue, inflammation, and medical stress place continuous demands on the nervous system. When the body remains under stress for long periods, the nervous system can become stuck in a fight-or-flight response.
This may show up as:
Constant worry or hypervigilance
Difficulty relaxing or sleeping
Racing thoughts or mental exhaustion
Increased sensitivity to stress
Panic symptoms or feelings of being overwhelmed
Over time, the nervous system may begin to associate bodily sensations with danger, reinforcing anxiety even when no immediate threat is present.
The Emotional Layers of Chronic Illness and Anxiety
Anxiety related to chronic illness is often layered and complex. Many people experience a mix of emotions, including grief, frustration, anger, guilt, and fear. There may be grief for the life you imagined, for activities you can no longer do in the same way, or for a sense of ease that feels lost.
Some individuals also experience invisible illness anxiety — the stress of not being believed or understood by others. Feeling dismissed or misunderstood can intensify anxiety and lead to isolation, self-doubt, or withdrawal from support.
The Cycle of anxiety and chronic illness
Anxiety and chronic illness can create a reinforcing cycle:
Physical symptoms trigger anxious thoughts
Anxiety increases muscle tension, pain, or fatigue
Heightened symptoms reinforce fear and worry
Breaking this cycle involves understanding how the body and mind interact and learning strategies that support both emotional regulation and self-compassion. It’s a complex path of healing the relationship you have with your body (past feelings of disappointment or betrayal) and developing practical tools to regulate your nervous system and rewire your brain to look for daily possibilities for engagement in your life. It may also include learning how to perceive pain as a part of the experience - rather than the whole picture. It’s a process that requires daily intention and practice, even on the good days. But it’s possible and so worth it.
Laurel Aasen offers online counselling for adults and teens (16+) across British Columbia, supporting individuals living with chronic illness, chronic pain, and anxiety. Sessions are held virtually, allowing you to access support in a way that works with your energy levels and physical needs.
If you’re ready to explore support, you’re welcome to reach out for a consultation or learn more about how counselling may help.