Many people still believe that mental health and physical health are two separate things, or even worse; they dismiss the notion of mental health issues all together.
One reason is that mental problems are less visible than physical problems. Another reason is that no medical tests exist that can indisputably show that someone has a mental illness. A broken leg is hard to dismiss, but a depression or an anxiety issue is often looked upon with some suspicion. However, just because something is not visible doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and the medical community as well as the general public are increasingly beginning to recognize that.
Don’t hesitate to seek professional help for your mental health issues
Mental and physical health are indisputably interconnected. Better mental health improves the physical health, and vice versa. If you want to stay healthy, you need to start taking your mental health seriously and stop dismissing psychological issues as “bad feelings” that can be overcome simply by “pulling yourself together”. Just like you seek advice and treatment when you are physically ill, you should seek advice and treatment when you are feeling mentally ill, and the sooner the better. At Top Doctors you can easily find renowned specialists in your area simply by entering your condition (whether it’s physical or mental), and your city. You can also easily book a meeting directly online.
Two sides of the same thing
Mental health drives physical health, and the other way around. Depression, for example, weakens the immune system, and reduces a person’s capacity to take care of herself in terms of nutrition, exercise and hygiene; factors that in turn increase the risk for numerous physical illnesses. Physical diseases can also trigger the development of mental issues. Just imagine a dancer or marathon runner who breaks both her legs. Clinical studies have found clear connections between mental illness and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and bone fracture.
Take control of your mental and physical well-being
There are many things you can do yourself to improve both your mental and physical well-being. Physical exercise, meditation and mindfulness-exercises are some activities that greatly benefit both the mind and soul. Most important, however, is probably to reduce stress, since there is a very strong correlation between stress and common mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, as well as between stress and physical diseases. Almost all physical problems worsen under stress; from stomach pain and high blood pressure, to obesity and heart problems. Luckily, most of us can get better at avoiding stress by learning to say no, asking for help when we need it, and by allowing ourselves time to rewind.
Don’t be ashamed – talk about it!
Most of us suffer from mental health problems at some part of our life – just like most of us sometimes suffer from physical problems. In the latest General Health Questionnaire in the UK, almost 20% of the population showed some evidence of depression or anxiety (data from 2014). Yet, mental illness is still surrounded by considerable shame, stigma, and fear of getting labelled as crazy. But, things are beginning to change as several organisations are breaking the taboos around mental illness. One example is the Green Ribbon campaign with its hashtag #endthestigma that encourages discussions about mental health at work.
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These are things that we try and practice at our monthly Warrington Biploar Support Group Meetings on the first Tuesday each month at the Gateway centre. One additional factor is getting counselling for stuff like CBT, not readily available due to lack of resources but very useful – you will need to get a referral from you Doctor but they won’t always volunteer that information for some strange reason.
For more details, help and advice contact Bipolar UK by going to the main web site bipolar.org or call 0333 323 3880, membership is free and confidential.
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