Several factors can contribute to you experiencing problems with your mental health when living and dealing with a physical health issue:

• Shock of diagnosis – why me? Is it something I did?
• Medication and their side effects
• Continuous requirement of self-care and attending appointments
• Impact on your ability to do what you did before e.g. job or doing exercise
• Financial pressures of ability to earn money in the short or long term.
• Relationships – dealing with your own worry and others around you
• Frustration of wanting to get better and not being able to perform certain tasks
• Future concerns for self and family

The list above is not exhaustive and given all these factors it is no surprise that depression and anxiety can become common place. Having someone to talk too that is a step removed from family or close friends can be a good idea to acknowledge and explore your feelings. Even if physical health is out of your control we can help you gain a certain amount of control over your mental ability to cope with it by using a number of well -known counselling approaches.