By LaKisha Watson, MS, LCDCI, Manager of AllOne Therapy
October is Critical Illness Awareness Month. This is a time to recognize those living with serious, long-term health conditions. But beyond the medications, surgeries, and doctor’s visits lies another layer of pain that often gets overlooked: the emotional and mental toll of living with or caring for someone with a critical illness.
Whether it’s cancer, autoimmune disease, heart failure, or another diagnosis that changes life as you know it, critical illness doesn’t just affect the body. It changes relationships. It shifts identities. It rearranges routines, goals, and dreams.
Navigating the journey
For many, the experience brings grief. Many times, grief is not just about what’s been lost physically, but of the life they thought they’d have.
And while there’s so much focus on survival and treatment, there’s often less space to talk about what comes with it:
- The fear before test results.
- The guilt of being a “burden.”
- The exhaustion that isn’t just physical.
- The anger that shows up when plans are derailed.
- The depression that quietly lingers during recovery.
And for caregivers, the pain can be just as deep. Watching someone you love go through treatments, hospital stays, or long-term changes can trigger anxiety, helplessness, and burnout. Many caregivers feel like they have to be strong for everyone else, even when they’re falling apart inside.
Finding strength
There’s no “right way” to cope with illness. Some days you might feel hopeful. Other days, you might feel numb or overwhelmed. All of it is valid. All of it deserves space.
Mental health support is often seen as secondary, but in truth, it’s essential. Just like we treat the body, we must tend to the mind and heart. That means making room to feel, process, cry, ask questions, and sit with the unknown.
Therapy can be one way to do that. It’s not about fixing what can’t be fixed. It’s about helping you navigate the terrain of life that looks very different from how it used to be. It’s about finding grounding, even when everything feels uncertain.
Whether you’re the one with the diagnosis or the one supporting someone through it, you deserve to be supported, not just medically, but emotionally.
At AllOne Therapy, we’re here to help. To learn more, we invite you to explore our services or book a session.