Chronic Illness / Disease
Whether life-long allergies, asthma or eczema; diabetes, stroke, COPD, or cancer; hepatitis C, HIV / AIDS, HPV, or other medical issues; the results are that more and more people contend with health challenges that may be kept in check but are lifelong.
Whether a person contends with a new diagnosis, a new phase of the disease, or simply wants a safe space to reflect, appreciate life, and make good decisions, a few sessions or a series of sessions may be of long-lasting support.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Illness
- Persistent fatigue(not relieved by rest)
- Chronic pain (muscle, joint, nerve, or widespread pain)
- Brain fog (difficulty concentrating, memory issues)
- Sleep problems (insomnia or unrefreshing sleep)
- Digestive issues (nausea, bloating, diarrhea, constipation)
- Shortness of breath
- Frequent infections or slow recovery
- Headaches or migraines
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Inflammation (swelling, stiffness, redness)
- Weight changes (gain or loss)
- Sensitivity to light, sound, temperature, or foods
- Mood changes (anxiety, depression—often secondary to chronic illness)
- Reduced ability to perform daily activities
Symptoms Often Seen in Autoimmune or Inflammatory Conditions
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Low-grade fevers
- Rashes or skin changes
- Flare-ups followed by periods of remission
Therapy for Chronic Illness in Los Angeles
A chronic condition adds a second job to an ordinary day. Appointments, insurance calls, prescriptions, pacing, and the constant low-grade arithmetic of how much energy a plan will cost. None of that is the illness itself, and all of it is exhausting. Therapy is one of the few places where that labor can be described without having to reassure the listener.
The grief nobody schedules
Diagnosis is a loss even when the prognosis is good, because something gets taken away: a version of the future, a level of reliability, a body that could be assumed rather than managed. That loss is rarely acknowledged by anyone nearby, which tends to make it larger rather than smaller. This overlaps directly with grief work, including grief that follows no death at all.
Illness inside a relationship
Illness reorganizes a relationship whether or not the couple discusses it. One person becomes the one who tracks appointments; the other becomes the one who is tracked. Intimacy changes, sometimes through pain, fatigue or medication, and the conversation about it often stops entirely. Couples therapy and sex therapy for couples are both available for that, and telehealth means a hard week does not have to mean a missed session.
Depression and anxiety alongside a diagnosis
Depression and anxiety are common alongside chronic conditions and are not evidence that the illness is imaginary or that you are handling it badly. They are a predictable response to uncertainty and constraint, and they respond to treatment on their own terms. Therapy here coordinates with a physician or specialist where that is useful; it does not interpret medical questions, which belong to your medical team.
Getting started
Consultations are free and run 15 to 40 minutes. Call (310) 927-1755, email michael@michaelneetherapy.com, or use the contact page. The office is at 13101 W. Washington Boulevard, Suite 454, Los Angeles, CA 90066, minutes from Marina del Rey, Venice and Santa Monica, and telehealth is available anywhere in California.
Telehealth throughout California is available for clients for whom travel to the office is impractical.