"Caring for Your Mind, While You Care for Your Body."
Living with an autoimmune condition means facing daily uncertainties, physical discomfort, and often, emotional distress. It’s more than just managing physical symptoms—it’s navigating a world that may not always understand the invisible battles you fight each day. The unpredictability of flare-ups, the frustration of fatigue, and the emotional weight of chronic illness can make even simple tasks feel exhausting.
From adjusting to new lifestyle restrictions to coping with the impact on work, relationships, and personal identity, autoimmune conditions affect every aspect of life. The constant need to advocate for yourself in medical settings, the trial-and-error process of finding the right treatments, and the fear of what the future holds can contribute to stress, anxiety, and even depression. Many people with autoimmune disorders struggle with feelings of isolation, especially when their pain or fatigue is not visible to others.
The Connection Between Autoimmune Conditions and Mental Health
Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and many others, don’t just affect the body—they can have a profound impact on mental health as well. Chronic illness often brings:
Depression and Emotional Fatigue
Many individuals with autoimmune diseases experience persistent fatigue, chronic pain, and physical limitations that can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming. Over time, this can lead to feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or even isolation. It’s important to acknowledge that depression is not just a result of “negative thinking” but can also be influenced by the physiological effects of chronic illness.
The Emotional Toll of Lifestyle Changes
Autoimmune conditions often require major lifestyle adjustments—changes in diet, activity levels, social life, and even career choices. Adapting to these changes can feel like a loss, triggering emotions similar to grief. Therapy can help you process these changes and find ways to reclaim joy and purpose in your life.
Anxiety About the Future
When living with an unpredictable condition, you may find yourself constantly worrying about flare-ups, disease progression, or how your condition might impact your work, relationships, and daily life. This uncertainty can lead to chronic stress, which may worsen symptoms and impact overall well-being.
Stress from Medical Management
Frequent doctor visits, medical tests, and the trial-and-error process of finding the right treatment can be exhausting. Many people with autoimmune conditions experience “medical burnout,” where the constant focus on healthcare needs becomes overwhelming. A mental health professional can help you develop strategies to manage this stress and advocate for your needs.
Feelings of Isolation or Frustration
Since autoimmune diseases are often “invisible illnesses,” you may feel that others don’t fully understand what you’re going through. The lack of external symptoms can sometimes lead to invalidation from friends, family, or even medical professionals. Finding a supportive, understanding space to express your feelings can be incredibly healing.
At Joy Spring Mental Health, we provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space where you can share your experiences and receive the support you deserve. Our approach includes personalized therapy tailored to your unique struggles, whether it’s coping with pain, managing anxiety, or navigating identity shifts related to chronic illness. We emphasize the mind-body connection, incorporating mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to help you manage stress and negative thought patterns. Additionally, we offer practical coping tools to reduce flare-up triggers, improve communication in relationships, build emotional resilience, and find joy in daily life, empowering you to navigate your journey with confidence and support.
Living with an autoimmune condition can feel like an uphill battle, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Mental health care is just as essential as physical health care, and seeking support is a powerful step toward reclaiming your well-being.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
📅 Book an appointment today and let’s work together to create a path toward emotional relief, strength, and renewed hope.
💙 You are not alone. Joy Spring Mental Health is here for you.
Answers to Your Questions about Mental Healthcare
General Mental Health Basics
We offer both as my schedule allows. In general, we have more availability for medication appointments. If you are interested in both and our therapy slots are full, we will help you connect with another therapist while we manage your medication.
This will be determined during your intake appointment. Brief appointments are ideal for time-limited specific concerns or for clients who are stable and transitioning out of recurring therapy or have already been in recurring therapy in the past. It is also helpful for clients who have challenging schedules or financial concerns that do not accommodate recurring therapy.
No! we see young adults and young-at-heart adults from diverse backgrounds. We have additional training and experience working with the college health and perinatal mental health populations but you do not have to identify with those groups to receive care.
We do not at this time.
Depression, anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD (with non-stimulants only)
No. Our services are offered predominantly through telehealth and I do not prescribe any controlled substances.
Yes. Clients who live locally, may request an in-person appointment.
Yes. We know how challenging juggling all these responsibilities can be and we will make a plan that will help you succeed all aspects of your life-including academic life.
College Mental Health Basics
No, we see young adults who are entering the workforce without additional schooling, in community college, and who have already graduated. Each transition has its own challenges and we enjoy working with adults in any of these phases. College students often have a more difficult time accessing care so we provide additional information on my site for this group.
The majority of our patients are 45 or younger. This is because for our purposes, we work with clients who are entering adulthood and the challenges that occur with the challenges of adulthood and this happens at different ages for everyone.
No. As an adult, you are legally responsible for your own mental health and you will have to sign a release of information designating who you are allowed to share information with (this is a federal HIPAA policy). We do require that every patient have an emergency contact on file. Also, if you choose to use insurance and you plan to submit your Superbill to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement and you are on your parent’s insurance, they will receive notice of this. Also, because if we are an out-of-network provider for your plan, you may have your parents cover the cost of their appointments.
No, your information is still protected (other than billing which will include a diagnosis code).
Only if that is your preference. Our initial appointments are always with the patient only so that we can discuss this in detail. If you would like to have a parent attend at the end of the appointment or at future appointments, we will make arrangements for this. This applies to medication appointments.
You are welcome to share information but please note that any information you share will shared with the patient. We do not schedule appointments with parents without the patient present.
No. Your information is legally protected by HIPAA regulations.
No. We do not evaluate or train animals. If you have had at least 3 appointments and we can provide a statement of your diagnosis and that you find your pet to be helpful. This letter does not provide any legal requirement that your landlord must follow. We will not submit any additional documentation for this purpose and you will need to sign a release of information for this letter.
Our first appointment is a comprehensive assessment and we will review the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. In most situations, if you are experiencing ADHD symptoms and mood symptoms, treating the mood symptoms first is recommended and then we will reassess ADHD symptoms. We are not able to provide diagnostic testing for learning disorders. We do not prescribe controlled substances. If you have a previous diagnosis or suspect ADHD and are interested in stimulant medication (Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta, etc), you will want to work with another provider. We do prescribe non-controlled medications for ADHD and work with you on skill development for management of ADHD symptoms.
No. We do not prescribed controlled substances. For many reasons, I recommend a different plan of care.
No problem! This is common. You can schedule your appointment online and we will make sure you understand how to access medication services.
The transition to parenthood of an adult child is a developmental task as well. Our goal is to help our clients learn how and when to set safe and healthy boundaries and also learn how to advocate for themselves and communicate effectively. We provide a summary and care plan (often including handouts) at every visit and you may want to ask the patient to share this information with you. We also provide education at every visit so your family member should be able to share as they are comfortable. We provide the care to our clients that we would want our children and (and myself) to receive and we take this responsibility very seriously.
What to expect for Virtual Appointments
Yes, in order to provide effective care, we must be able to see you. You are not required to use your camera for asynchronous classes.
No, you will need to reschedule. Please be aware there is a cancellation fee for appointments not cancelled within 24 hours.
The best feature of having a virtual appointment option is the convenience! Come as you are, baby drool, messy house, and all. You must be clothed (shirts required, and you may not be using mind altering substances during your appointment.
You will be able to access your appointment from any device with internet and a camera. Due to state licensing regulations, you must be in NC or VA at the time of your appointment. Please try to give yourself a quiet and private place. (Some patients find their vehicles (parked-not driving!) or bathroom to be great escape locations for their appointment.
Practice Policies for clients seeking 1-on-1mental healthcare
Yes, we will collaborate with your individual therapist.
No. Due to the boundaries established by the DEA system, providers cannot prescribe controlled substances to patients they have not initially seen in person. It is anticipated that the COVID pandemic exception will expire. That said, we have many modalities that are safe and effective and provide a long-term solutions so that controlled substances may not be necessary. We are committed to helping patients connect with their best-selves (which involves the courageous exploration of a values-driven life, rather than avoidance and symptom management).
Yes. Please plan to sign a release of information so we can communicate with your medication provider as needed.