How Mental Health Affects Physical Health- Part 1 of 2

I have never before posted an article on the importance mental health has on our physical health but the reality is that many obese or chronically ill people are dealing with much deeper issues than what we see on the outside. And while there once was a stigma to admitting the need for mental help, that negative stigma has slowly dissipated due to education and a better public awareness of this global epidemic.
This is a subject that hits very close to home with me. In my past, Iโve experienced depression, alcohol abuse, and even drug use. Iโve experienced divorce and occasional feelings of hopelessness. Iโve watched my weight fluctuate up and down by as much as 60 pounds!
The result of my past bout with depression was that my immune system became severely decreased and my blood pressure went through the roof. To top it off, all those years of seesawing through lifeโs ups and downs were a major contributing factor to my complete and irreversible kidney failure. Many of you know I recently received a kidney transplant after 6 years of dialysis. To say I know the importance of mental health on physical health would be an understatement. But what about the impact of physical health on mental health?
๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐
When a person is experiencing emotional or mental distress, meeting with a counselor often is helpful. If the problem is physical in nature, however, a physician typically is recommended. But that does not mean that these challenges are always completely unrelated. Although the mind and the body often are viewed as separate entities, when it comes to counseling, it is important to recognize the relationship between the two in order to maximize a patientโs complete mental and physical well-being.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ
One of the clearest places that the link between mental and physical health is illustrated is in longevity. Many studies have found that those with mental health challenges, such as schizophrenia or even depression, tend to live shorter lives when compared to those who do not have these conditions. In fact, the Mental Health Foundation reported that schizophrenia is associated with a tripled risk of dying from a respiratory disease and a doubled risk of dying from a form of heart disease. Depression has been linked to a 50 percent increase in a personโs risk of dying from cancer and a 67 percent increase from heart disease. These conditions have a significant impact on life expectancies.
Researchers hypothesize that one reason for the increase in respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer risk is that individuals with mental health conditions are less likely to seek care for their physical health. The Mental Health Foundation reported that those who take part in mental health services are statistically less likely to receive many routine checks, such as weight, cholesterol and blood pressure, that could identify health concerns early on. Unhealthy habits, including smoking, drug use and a lack of exercise, also can play a role, according to an article from U.S. News and World Report.
However, there are other ways that mental health can affect longevity. Researchers are finding that a personโs sense of optimism also has an impact.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ
According to a 2012 Harvard University meta analysis of 200 articles, optimism may correlate with cardiovascular health and may even decrease the rate of the diseaseโs progression.
โThe absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive. We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of such factors as a personโs age, socioeconomic status, smoking status or body weight,โ said lead author Julia Boehm.
Boehm, a research fellow at Harvard School of Public Healthโs Department of Society, Human Development and Health, additionally stated that the most optimistic individuals, when compared to their less optimistic counterparts, had approximately 50 percent less risk of an initial cardiovascular event.
Whereas positive emotions correlate with a personโs mental state, the opposite is also true: negative emotions correlate with deficits in a personโs physical well-being. Stress is the perfect example. While chronic stress can wear down the body over time, even short-lived spurts of minor stress, such as temporary stomachaches, can have an impact, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported. Negative emotions such as anger have been found to correlate with heart attacks and other physical problems that sometimes can lead to death.
๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐ข ๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐
The difference between physical and mental health is not as pronounced as you might think. For years, researchers have been asking a complex question โ how do mental and physical health interact? The answer is predictably complicated, but we do know that mental illness impacts physical health directly and indirectly. Take a look at some of the concrete ways your body and mind influence each other.
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ
Depression, the most common mental disorder in the United States, doesnโt just impact mood and motivation. It can directly affect the immune system by suppressing T cell responses to viruses and bacteria, making it easier to get sick and stay sick for longer. A weakened immune system can also lead to a jump in the severity of allergies or asthma.
Some research suggests that it may be the other way around, and the immune system may actually cause depression. Stress โ especially the chronic type โ triggers an immune response within the brain itself. That inflammatory response may be a driving cause of depression.
A recent study on immune inflammation and depression involved the manipulation of immune receptors in mice. Researchers exposed the mice to repeated stress and observed that stress caused the mouse brains to release cytokines. Cytokines are a type of protein associated with inflammation, and their release led to damage in the medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that plays a critical role in depression. In other words, the researchers were able to trigger depressive symptoms as a result of the immune systemโs response to stress.
A strong immune system is a hallmark of physical health, but the addition of stress increases the chances of depression. In turn, depression may further weaken the immune system, resulting in a discouraging cycle.
This case illustrates the fact that many health problems have both a physical and a mental element.
๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐น๐น๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐๐ฒ
Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders often result in persistent feelings of tiredness and exhaustion. Some inappropriately suggest that โitโs all in your head,โ but research shows this is not the case. Being mentally tired leads to physical tiredness.
A study from Bangor University in Wales, the United Kingdom, had participants ride a stationary bike until they reached the point of exhaustion. They defined exhaustion as the inability to keep up with a pace of 60 revolutions per minute for five or more seconds.
Participants performed the test in two different situations. In one situation, they rode the bike like usual. In the second setup, participants first engaged in a 90-minute task with elements drawing on memory, fast reactions and inhibiting impulsive responses to stimuli.
After participants engaged in the mental challenge, they reported feeling tired and a little listless. Most importantly, the participants reached the point of exhaustion 15 percent earlier.
Mental illness is closely linked with fatigue, and that persistent tiredness can easily lead to declines in physical health. When someone is chronically depressed or anxious, they are less likely to engage in exercise and to quit early when they do. Fatigue from mental illness can also interfere with basic hygiene, increasing vulnerability to disease.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต
Angry outbursts and the stress of anxiety are bad for the heart. An Australian study set out to see if acute emotions can cause heart attacks like you see in movies โ and unfortunately, the trope is true.
Dr. Thomas Buckley, lead author of the study, said, โOur findings confirm what has been suggested in prior studies and anecdotal evidenceโฆthat episodes of intense anger can act as a trigger for a heart attack.โ
In the two hours following a bout of intense anger, which the study defined as tense body language, clenched fists or teeth, and feeling โready to burst,โ a personโs risk of heart attack becomes 8.5 times higher.
In the case of anxiety, the risk of heart attack rises 9.5 fold in the following two hours. While youth are generally a long way away from having to worry about heart attacks, anger and anxiety involved in impulse control disorders can negatively affect their growing hearts.
๐ก๐ข๐ง๐:
Adults are not the only people affected by exercise. According to a 2012 study by the Economic and Social Research Council, a survey of 5,000 adolescents between the age of 10 and 15 revealed that those who lived a healthier lifestyle were happier than those who indulged in unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking and eating junk food. The council also found that the more hours a week the participants played sports, the happier they considered themselves.
๐๐ข๐ช ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ
People often donโt get the mental health services they need because they donโt know where to start.
Talk to your primary care doctor or another health professional about mental health problems. Ask them to connect you with the right mental health services.
If you do not have a health professional who is able to assist you, use these resources to find help for yourself, your family, or your friends.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐โ๐ต๐ญ๐ญ
If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911, available 24 hours a day.
๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ญ-๐ด๐ฌ๐ฌ-๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฏ-๐ง๐๐๐ (๐ด๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ) ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained crisis workers are available to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your confidential and toll-free call goes to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals.
๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ญ-๐ด๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ณ (๐ญ-๐ด๐ณ๐ณ-๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฒ-๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ณ)
Get general information on mental health and locate treatment services in your area. Speak to a live person, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
Sources:ย Hillside Atlanta,ย MentalHealth.gov
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