Mental Health and Emotional Adjustment During IV Therapy

Receiving IV therapy — whether for a few weeks of antibiotics or months of chemotherapy or years on home TPN — is not just a physical experience. The emotional dimensions of illness, invasive procedures, a changed body, altered daily life, and uncertainty about the future are significant and deserve to be taken seriously.

This guide is here to tell you: what you feel is normal, you are not alone, and support is available.

The Emotional Reality of IV Therapy

Many patients experience a range of difficult emotions during IV therapy. These are not signs of weakness or psychological abnormality — they are natural responses to genuinely difficult circumstances.

Anxiety

Anxiety about IV therapy is extremely common and can take many forms:

Fear of the catheter placement procedure (particularly needle phobia)
Fear of infection or other complications
Hypervigilance about every sensation near the catheter
Anxiety about whether treatment is working
Worry about infusions at home — “What if I do something wrong?”
Health anxiety that was present before illness and is now intensified
Anticipatory anxiety before each infusion or procedure

Depression

Depression — not just sadness, but a persistent low mood, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, changes in sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, and a sense of hopelessness — is significantly more common in people dealing with serious illness than in the general population. Studies suggest that 20–30% of people with serious or chronic illness experience clinically significant depression. This is not a character flaw; it is a recognized medical condition associated with illness and its treatment.

Signs of depression (more than just sadness):

Persistent low mood that does not lift with good news or pleasant events
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable (anhedonia)
Significant fatigue beyond what your illness or treatment explains
Sleep disturbances (sleeping too much or too little)
Changes in appetite and weight
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Feeling worthless, hopeless, or guilty
In severe cases, thoughts of death or suicide

Grief

Even when your illness is treatable, you may grieve the life you had before. You may grieve your body as it was, the freedom you have lost, the plans that have been disrupted, the self-image that has changed. This grief is legitimate and important to acknowledge.

Trauma responses

Some patients experience post-traumatic stress responses related to medical procedures — particularly if procedures were painful, frightening, or felt like a loss of control. Symptoms can include flashbacks or intrusive memories of procedures, avoidance of medical settings or reminders, hypervigilance (feeling constantly on alert), and difficulty sleeping.

Isolation and loneliness

IV therapy — particularly home therapy — can be isolating. The infusion schedule limits spontaneity. Fatigue limits social energy. Feeling different from healthy peers creates distance. For patients on long courses (months on IV antibiotics, years on TPN), the cumulative isolation can be significant.

Normalizing Your Experience

You may feel that you “should” be handling this better. You may compare yourself unfavorably to other patients who seem to cope without complaint. You may feel guilty for being distressed when you know others are in worse situations.

Please hear this: There is no correct way to feel when you are seriously ill and undergoing invasive medical treatment. The full range of emotional responses — anger, fear, grief, relief, gratitude, exhaustion — is appropriate. Feeling distressed is not a sign you are doing this wrong.

Acknowledging and naming what you are feeling is the first step to managing it. Suppressing difficult emotions rarely makes them go away — they tend to resurface with greater intensity.

Practical Coping Strategies

These strategies help many patients manage the emotional weight of long-term IV therapy. They are not substitutes for professional support when that is needed, but they are meaningful tools:

Maintain some element of control

Illness often creates a profound sense of loss of control. Reclaim small areas:

Choose your infusion time when possible
Prepare your own infusion supplies
Select what you wear, what you listen to during infusions, who visits
Engage actively in treatment decisions and ask questions

Connect with others who understand

It is difficult for people who have not been through similar experiences to fully understand what you are going through. Connecting with others who have lived experience — through patient support groups, online communities, the Oley Foundation (for TPN patients), or cancer-specific organizations — provides a kind of understanding that even loving family members cannot always offer.

Find small pleasures and meaningful activities

Continue engaging with what gives you pleasure, adjusted for your current capacity. A garden you can sit in, music you love, a film series, a creative project you can do from a chair — these matter. Do not wait until you feel better to pursue them.

Give yourself permission to grieve and feel bad

Accepting difficult emotions rather than fighting them reduces their intensity over time. Mindfulness-based approaches — noticing and naming your emotional experience without judging it — have solid evidence for reducing distress in people with serious illness.

Maintain connection to your sense of identity

Serious illness has a way of narrowing a person’s identity to “patient.” Deliberately maintain connections to who you are beyond your illness — your relationships, your work or creative pursuits, your humor, your values. These persist through treatment.

Sleep

Sleep deprivation dramatically amplifies anxiety and low mood. Protect sleep as a priority — within the constraints of your treatment schedule. If sleep is significantly disrupted by anxiety, pain, or the treatment itself, raise this with your care team. There are options for support.

Limit relentless medical research

There is a form of health anxiety where patients spend hours reading about their condition, worst-case scenarios, and every possible complication. For some, information is genuinely reassuring; for many, the internet (particularly unmoderated patient forums) amplifies anxiety rather than reducing it. Set a reasonable information limit and rely primarily on your care team for clinical guidance.

When to Seek Professional Mental Health Support

Professional support — from a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed clinical social worker, or counselor — is appropriate when:

Anxiety or depression is interfering with your daily life, relationships, or your ability to engage with your treatment
You are experiencing symptoms of clinical depression as described above
You are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide — this requires immediate contact with a mental health professional, crisis line, or emergency services
You are using substances (alcohol, non-prescribed medications) to manage distress
Trauma responses to medical procedures are significantly impacting your life
You find yourself unable to attend medical appointments or comply with treatment due to anxiety or avoidance
You feel that your distress has been dismissed or inadequately addressed by your medical team

How to access support

Ask your physician, oncologist, or care team for a referral to a psychologist or licensed counselor — mental health support is a standard part of comprehensive cancer care and serious illness care
Ask if your hospital has a social work department — hospital social workers provide counseling support, practical assistance, and connection to resources at no additional charge
Ask if there is a palliative care or supportive care team — these teams specialize in quality of life, symptom management, and emotional support during serious illness; they are not only for people at end of life
If you are on chemotherapy, ask your oncology nurse navigator about mental health resources specific to cancer patients
Crisis lines: In the US, 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) provides free confidential support by call or text, 24 hours a day, for any mental health crisis

Effective treatments

The following have strong evidence for anxiety and depression related to serious illness:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Highly effective for both anxiety and depression; helps identify and change unhelpful thought patterns
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Helps with acceptance of difficult circumstances while committing to valued actions
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): Reduces recurrence of depression; has specific applications in cancer care
Psychotherapy for medical trauma: For patients with procedure-related PTSD
Medication: Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are safe and effective for many patients with serious illness; discuss with your physician if symptoms are significant

For Patients with Thoughts of Suicide

If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out immediately:

In the US: Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) — available 24/7, free, confidential
Emergency services: Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room
Tell someone — a family member, friend, or care team member — right now

Suicidal thoughts in the context of serious illness are more common than many people realize, and they are treatable. Please do not carry this alone.

A Note to Caregivers

If you are reading this as a caregiver, the emotional content applies to you too. Caregiver anxiety and depression are at least as common as patient depression. Please see our guide Guide for Caregivers of Adult Patients on IV Therapy for specific information and support.

This guide is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. If you are in crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis line immediately.