Living with physical illness & mental health
Living with a long-term physical condition can bring a lot to manage. You can ask for emotional support alongside physical healthcare, with room for your symptoms, circumstances and the things that matter to you.
A whole-person conversation can consider both.
Long-term physical illness and mental health can affect one another. Living with a condition does not mean you will develop depression, but changes in mood or wellbeing deserve attention.
Fatigue, sleep or concentration difficulties can need careful assessment in context. A questionnaire cannot decide that physical symptoms have a psychological cause.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
Care can consider the whole picture.
- Physical health
Symptoms and existing care
- Mental health
Changes you want understood
- Everyday access
Energy and practical needs
- Shared planning
Preferences and follow-up
Physical and mental healthcare belong in the same picture.
Living with ongoing illness can bring uncertainty, symptoms, treatment demands and access barriers. Depression may coexist, but physical symptoms should not automatically be attributed to mental health.
Health changes
Describe new or changing symptoms to the appropriate clinician.
Care coordination
Ask how professionals will share relevant treatment information.
Access and energy
Explain which formats, tasks or appointments are difficult.
Based on NIMH
What would you like your care team to understand?
These prompts help explain a need; they do not assign a cause or a universal illness score.
Mood & interest
Changes in mood or interest that concern you.
Daily demands
What symptoms and appointments ask of your day.
Access to care
Difficulties accessing care or carrying out a care plan.
Your priorities
Something important to you that could use more support.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
Bring health history and daily impact together.
Tell a health professional about your physical condition, current treatment and changes you want understood. An assessment can consider mood, physical symptoms and the effect on daily life together.
Ask how different professionals can coordinate care and who you can contact about concerns. You should not change prescribed treatment on the basis of this page.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
- 1What has changed
The symptoms or daily difficulty you want understood.
- 2Your current care
Treatments and professionals involved, discussed directly with your clinician.
- 3What fits
Your priorities, energy, access needs and follow-up questions.
Prepare around your energy and priorities.
You can keep the preparation small.
Choose one concern
Name the change or difficulty you most want discussed.
Ask for accessible care
Explain a communication, appointment or practical need that affects access.
Clarify the plan
Ask who will follow up and how physical and mental-health care will fit together.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
Care can respect your existing treatment and preferences.
Explore the options and ask what fits your circumstances and needs.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
Ask how support can fit around your existing care.
A professional can consider mood, physical health, medicines and their interactions together. Tell them about treatments you already receive; do not alter medicines from general online advice.
Adaptations may be useful when energy, mobility or symptoms affect participation. Support should fit your circumstances rather than assume an ideal routine.
Based on NIMH
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Explore a tool, prepare a conversation or find someone to talk to. Choose what feels useful to you.
Use the free guides to learn what to expect or find someone to talk to. If you need urgent help, go straight to the country-labeled support contacts.
Find urgent supportPrepare for a conversation
A few prompts to help you explain what you have noticed and what you would like help with.
- A simple notes builder
- Copy your notes to keep
- No account needed
You decide how much to write and share.
Find your wordsFind your next kind of support
Explore where to begin with everyday support, professional help or an urgent conversation.
- Ways to ask for help
- Country-specific crisis contacts
- Support at your own pace
If you need urgent help, go straight to support.
Find supportYour first sentence does not need to be perfect.
You could say: “Alongside my physical symptoms, this part of my wellbeing needs attention.” Ask what support could fit your health, energy and access needs.
Based on NIMH · NICE · CG91
“I would like my physical health and this change in wellbeing considered together.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Is depression inevitable with chronic illness?
No. Increased risk does not determine an individual’s experience. Persistent concerns deserve assessment and appropriate care.
Based on NIMH
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
- Understanding the link between chronic disease and depression
- Depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem