Living Well with Long Term Physical Health Conditions

People who have Long Term Conditions (LTC’s) are more likely to experience anxiety and low mood, and these emotional difficulties can make the physical symptoms of their LTC worse. Physical symptoms caused by a LTC can be distressing and difficult to control, and this often leads to worry, overthinking, avoidance, and withdrawal.

Experiencing these symptoms can understandably reduce a person’s quality of life. Please know that you are not alone, and we want to support you in taking the steps to manage your emotional wellbeing and physical health condition.

Many people living with long-term physical health conditions, report an increase in feelings of frustration, stress, anxiety and depression. Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with difficulties for some time, our service is committed to supporting people to manage their mental and emotional wellbeing.

If you would like to access support then please visit the self-referral page or contact NHS Talking Therapies on 024 7667 1090 

Once we receive your referral, we can book you in for an initial telephone conversation to discuss what support may be best for your difficulties.

How can NHS Talking Therapies Help

Our NHS Talking Therapies services can help to:

  • Explore strategies and skills to manage your symptoms of anxiety and low mood which in turn will help you to manage your LTC.
  • Improve your quality of life.
  • Look at the links between your thoughts, behaviours, physical symptoms and emotions, and then practice key tools to make some helpful adaptations, with an aim to help you live well with a LTC.

Our service is available to anyone over the age of 16 years who is registered with a GP in the Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull area.

We offer a range of interventions and therapies including:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): looks at how thoughts and behaviours affect the way we feel. Its aim is to provide practical tools to help manage psychological wellbeing which can be helpful in the face of physical health challenges.

How CBT can help with self-managing your long term condition. CBT techniques focus on improving symptoms of anxiety and low mood, which can help reduce symptoms related to your long-term health condition. CBT uses strategies to help people improve their quality of life and self-manage their condition. Some of the key areas you might address in therapy, may include:

  • How CBT can help with the self-management.
  • How mental health and physical health symptoms link together.
  • How to manage triggers and warning signs.
  • The fight or flight response.
  • How to manage anxiety provoking thoughts.
  • How to manage safety behaviours and learning to pace yourself.
  • Relaxation techniques.
  • How to recognise and manage worry and overthinking.
  • The role of safety, avoidance and withdrawal behaviours, and how to include rewarding activities in your week and overcome barriers.
  • Developing self-compassion.
  • How to stay well and how to maintain the strategies learned.
     

Improvements can include:

  • Reduced low mood and anxiety
  • Improved quality of life
  • Improved relationships
  • Improved self-management


Counselling: offers a safe space to explore the emotional impact of living with a long-term health condition.

Living Well with Diabetes

Around 41% of people living with diabetes experience emotional or psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and emotional distress. Research shows that improvements in psychological wellbeing have positive impact in helping people to manage their diabetes.

NHS Talking Therapies offers support through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and looks at how your thoughts and behaviours affect the way you feel. Our aim is to give you practical tools to help manage your psychological wellbeing, in order for you to feel happier, healthier and more in control. 

We also offer counselling to explore your thoughts and feelings about living with a long-term health condition. We know that it can be difficult to adjust and accept the changes diabetes brings, and you may feel that you have lost a lot. Counselling can offer a safe space to help you explore the emotional impact in the hope that you are able to find acceptance of the life with diabetes.

You can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies and book an initial assessment in which will be your opportunity to discuss with a trained practitioner how diabetes is affecting your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. We will then discuss with you suitable support options. This may be within our service or other services outside of NHS Talking Therapies.

Are you living with Diabetes?

Do you struggle with any of the following?

  • Increased tiredness and loss of motivation
  • Persistent worries about diet, blood sugars, administering insulin or hypoglycaemia
  • Panic or embarrassment about having a hypoglycaemic episode
  • Avoiding certain situations because of your long-term condition
  • Fear of being negatively judged
  • Feeling overwhelmed by diabetes management
  • Feeling frustrated and angry about how to manage your condition

If so, you are not alone and this is not something you have to put up with.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with diabetes for a while, we are committed to helping people with diabetes to feel in control of their mental and emotional wellbeing.

We are a free NHS service providing a range of psychological support to help you with symptoms of anxiety, panic or low mood.

Psychological support for Respiratory Conditions

Sufferers of respiratory conditions are approximately twice as likely to suffer with anxiety and depression and up to 10 times more likely to experience panic attacks than the general population.

Research shows that improvements in psychological wellbeing have a positive impact in helping people to manage their respiratory conditions.

NHS Talking Therapies offers support through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and looks at how your thoughts and behaviours affect the way you feel. Our aim is to give you practical tools to help manage your mental wellbeing, in order for you to feel happier, healthier and more in control.

We also offer counselling to explore your thoughts and feelings about living with a long-term health condition. We know that it can be difficult to adjust and accept the changes respiratory difficulties bring, and you may feel that you have lost a lot. Counselling can offer a safe space to help you explore the emotional impact in the hope that you are able to find acceptance of the life with respiratory difficulties.

You can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies and book an initial assessment in which will be your opportunity to discuss with a trained practitioner how respiratory conditions is affecting your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. We will then discuss with you suitable support options. This may be within our service or other services outside of NHS Talking Therapies.

Are you living with a Respiratory condition?

Do you struggle with any of the following?

  • Scared to be active when experiencing breathlessness, chest tightening, or coughing
  • Feeling demotivated or struggling with tiredness
  • Struggling to sleep well
  • Worrying about your condition or things getting worse
  • Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or angry about having or managing your condition

If so, you are not alone and this is not something you have to put up with.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with respiratory difficulties for a while, we are committed to helping people to feel in control of their mental and emotional wellbeing.

We are a free NHS service providing a range of psychological support to help you with symptoms of anxiety, panic or low mood.