You’re Not Lazy—You’re Living with Chronic Illness

By Dr. Shruti Surya

Have you ever looked around and wondered why everyone else seems to have more energy, more motivation, more ability to do—while you’re just trying to make it through the day?

It’s easy to think, What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just push through?

If you live with chronic illness or chronic pain, you’ve likely asked yourself those questions more than once. Maybe others have too—suggesting you just need to try harder, eat better, exercise more, or “think positive.”

But here’s the truth:

You’re not lazy. You’re living with an invisible weight most people can’t see.

And it’s exhausting.

The Mental Health Toll of Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic condition—whether it’s autoimmune, neurological, hormonal, or pain-related—doesn’t just affect your body. It affects your entire life: your routines, your relationships, your identity, your hope.

Emotionally, it can lead to:

• Depression: Feeling low, numb, or disconnected from your sense of self
• Anxiety: Worrying about flares, symptoms, or what the future holds
• Grief: Mourning the version of life you imagined
• Guilt or shame: Feeling like a burden, or not “pulling your weight”
• Isolation: Avoiding social plans or feeling misunderstood by those around you

The hardest part? These struggles often go unseen. You may look “fine” on the outside, while your inner world is falling apart.

“I Should Be Doing More” — The Pressure to Perform

We live in a productivity-focused world. Rest is often mistaken for laziness. Slowing down is viewed as giving up. And when you can’t function the way others expect you to, it’s easy to internalize that blame.

But here’s what I remind my clients:

Rest is not weakness.
Slowness is not failure.
You are adapting to something very real—and that takes strength.

Therapy gives you permission to stop blaming yourself—and start building a life that works with your body, not against it.

What Therapy Can Do for You

I work with many clients living with chronic illness and chronic pain. Together, we create space to:

• Process the emotional impact of chronic illness
• Explore your identity beyond what your body can or can’t do
• Set realistic boundaries with others (and yourself)
• Learn tools to regulate stress and nervous system overwhelm
• Rebuild trust in your body and yourself

You don’t have to explain away your symptoms or prove how hard it is. You can just show up—and be seen.

Therapy That Gets It

You deserve support from someone who understands the intersection of chronic illness and mental health. I offer compassionate, trauma-informed online therapy for adults throughout Texas.

If you’re tired of pushing through alone, I’d love to help.