Sickle Cell

Psychiatric Support for Individuals Living with Sickle Cell Disease

​​​​​​​Because managing chronic illness requires mental strength and the right support.

The Overlooked Mental Toll of Sickle Cell Disease

Living with sickle cell disease (SCD) often means navigating more than just physical symptoms. Chronic pain, unpredictable flare-ups, hospitalizations, fatigue, and stigma can take a profound emotional toll. Over time, this can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout.

At Total Wellness Psychiatry, we recognize the mental health challenges that often go unspoken in the sickle cell community. Our practice offers private, stigma-free psychiatric support designed to help you feel more understood, more in control, and more emotionally equipped to manage your condition and your life.

How Sickle Cell Affects Mental Health

You are not alone if you’ve experienced:

• Ongoing anxiety about pain crises or hospitalization

• Depression, low mood, or hopelessness

• Emotional exhaustion or irritability

• Sleep disruption due to discomfort or worry

• Social withdrawal or feeling “different” from peers

• Difficulty maintaining work, school, or relationships

• Medical trauma or mistrust of providers

• Identity struggles around living with an invisible illness
  
  

Sickle cell disease is physically demanding, but also emotionally complex. Our goal is to support both.

Our Concierge Approach to Psychiatric Care for SCD

We deliver thoughtful, personalized care that understands both the medical and psychological realities of chronic illness.

Our services include:

• Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation that accounts for your full medical history, pain patterns, and emotional wellbeing

• Medication Management for depression, anxiety, and sleep - always mindful of drug interactions and your physical care plan

• Virtual, Flexible Appointments to make access easier during flare-ups, recovery, or low-energy days

• 100% Confidential, Self-Pay Model to protect your privacy and autonomy

• Trauma-Informed Care that addresses past negative experiences with the medical system

• Integrated Support so we can coordinate with your hematologist, pain management team, or primary care provider when appropriate
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We understand that your mental health journey may not look like anyone else’s, and that’s why your care plan shouldn’t either.

Who We Support

We work with:

• Adults living with sickle cell disease

• Individuals navigating frequent hospitalizations or pain crises

• College students and professionals managing life transitions with SCD

• Patients feeling isolated, frustrated, or misunderstood by the system

• Individuals balancing physical treatment and emotional healing
  
  

You don’t have to wait for a “bad day” to get help. Mental health care is part of your long-term resilience, and it’s available to you now.

Supporting Your Mind and Body

​​​​​​​You’ve already shown incredible strength in living with sickle cell. Let us help carry the emotional weight. With expert psychiatric care tailored to your journey, you can gain tools to manage stress, lift your mood, and find more stability in day-to-day life.
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