May is both Lupus Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, and as someone who lives with lupus and other chronic illnesses, I want to shed light on the mental health challenges that often accompany lupus. Lupus impacts not just the body, but also emotional well-being, making it essential to recognize the importance of prioritizing your mental health.
Lupus can bring with it anxiety, depression, mood swings, and emotional exhaustion. These experiences are not character flaws or signs of weakness—they are natural and valid responses to the complexities of living with a chronic illness. Inflammation associated with lupus can also affect mood. While many people with lupus demonstrate extraordinary resilience, pushing through pain and uncertainty, that doesn’t make the emotional toll any less real. If you’ve been feeling anxious, disconnected, or unlike yourself, know this: you are not alone, you are not imagining it, and you deserve support.
If you’re experiencing trouble concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, a loss of interest in activities, or persistent feelings of worry, sadness, or irritability, it may be time to seek additional care. Just like you treat physical symptoms, it’s important to prioritize your emotional health. Healing is about the whole self—body, mind, and spirit. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Building a support system, taking regular breaks to rest and recover, and engaging in soothing activities for your mind are essential for managing both lupus and mental health. Having a plan in place can help you navigate overwhelming moments. Identify soothing practices or places, whether it’s a quiet spot, a favorite park, or a calming visualization that works for you.
If you’re considering therapy, it can be helpful to find someone who has experience working with chronic illness. Many therapists offer free consultations, and this can be a great opportunity to explore whether their approach aligns with your needs. You deserve support that feels safe, attuned, and affirming. Please see resources at the bottom of this post for therapist directories, grant funding for therapy, and patient health advocate links.
For more on this topic, I invite you to watch my previous Live Expert Session with LupusLA on “Navigating Lupus & Your Mental Health,” included below.
Mental Health & Therapy Resources
Latinx Therapy – Find Latinx therapists.
Therapy for Black Girls – Find culturally competent therapists for Black women.
Therapy for Black Kids – A resource for Black children and adolescents seeking therapy.
Psychology Today – Therapist directory with insurance and location filters.
Therapy Den – LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and trauma-informed therapists.
LGBTQ Therapy Space – LGBTQ+ affirming therapists offering sliding scale fees.
Kaleidoscope LGBTQ – Support for LGBTQ+ individuals seeking mental health resources.
Yellow Chair Collective – Asian therapists agency.
Open Path Collective – Therapy at $30-$70/session.
Boris L. Henson Foundation – Mental health resource guide.
Lupus LA Patient Community – Support groups for lupus patients, including teens and adults.
Financial Support for Therapy & Lupus Care
LupusLA Emergency Grant – $500/year for lupus-related expenses for anyone diagnosed with lupus in the USA.
Boris L. Henson Foundation’s Free Therapy – 5 free therapy sessions.
Health Advocates and Directories
AdvoConnection – Health advocate directory.
GNANow – Another advocate directory.
Dr. Nicole T. Rochester, MD
Founder and CEO, Your GPS Doc, LLC
Website
Email: nrochester@yourgpsdoc.com
Brianna Cardenas, DMSc, PA-C, ATC
CEO, Healed and Empowered
Website
Email: healedandempowered@gmail.com
Lupus LA Referral Program
Lupus LA Referral Program – Assistance with navigating healthcare services.
Email: info@lupusla.org | Phone: (310) 657-5667
Download the Faces of Health app!
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