It is no exaggeration saying poor mental health may adversely affect physical health by resulting in a higher risk of some diseases. It is very important for you to pay attention to your physical and mental health equally because of the robust association between both of them. This mental health journal will help you to keep your mind in balance. Click here.
- Severe mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical health conditions.
- People with mental health conditions are at a greater risk of having chronic health conditions.
- People experiencing poor physical health are at a greater risk of having mental health conditions.
Here are some reasons why your mental and physical health are so important and the connection they share:
Correlation Between Mental and Physical Health
With the scientific evidence linking health outcomes to the association between physical and mental health, there appears to be a deep relationship between physical health, anxiety, and depression. A study reported that survival time got better with the treatment of symptoms related to depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Also, other acute and chronic medical conditions– such as heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, and digestive health, have been linked to mental health.
A report shows that approximately 20 percent of American adults suffer from mental disorders with closely 4 percent considered to be severely impaired. These mental illnesses are regularly implicated in chronic physical diseases. Mental illnesses can also lead to an increased risk of physical death and injury through suicide, uncontrollable anger, and accidents.
It has been reported that an untreated mentally deranged person visits a physician twice as frequent as an individual receiving mental health treatment. You should know that stress, depression, and anxiety can weaken your immune system making you susceptible to different diseases, such as cold, flu or cancer. You should also be aware that medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy. Be mindful that being insured is your best option–especially if you are having a tough time with your overall well-being.
It Can Affect Your Relationships
Your ability to interact with people effectively can also be affected by your mental health. Depression and anxiety will make you more probable to feel xenophobic, irritable, and ill-tempered. In other words, your interpersonal relationship, how you relate to others, will be affected by your mental health.
People having challenges with depression always encounter social problems, feelings of meaninglessness, and displeasure with relations and jobs. Also, inability to have and maintain a successful relationship is strongly associated with depression. It is very pertinent to know that your mental health is a key to your healthy relationships. Making right choices in life is a function of a robust mental health. Healthy relationships are vital to life. Without human relationship, you feel isolated, lonely, physically disabled, and unprotected. Therefore, maintaining your mental health must be of topmost importance to you.
Physical Sickness and Mental Health
Candidly speaking, a mentally sound person will have a thriving working mind which will aid in fostering lasting relationships with other people. However, a person with a mental illness will experience disorder in physical functions because mental illness affects thoughts, state of mind, attitude, and occupation negatively.
It is expedient for you to take care of your mental health needs just as much to keep your body healthy as a whole. For instance, a person that is suffering from bipolar disorder, a mental disorder typified by excessive mood swing, lacks a sound mind, and will have problems in carrying out day to day activities. Also, depression and anxiety have led to many cases of suicide, alcoholism, accidents, physical ailments, and disability. People with mental disorders lose the control over their lives, and this would adversely affect their physical health and lead to all forms of ailments.
Take Control Over Your Health
Various ways can be used to enhance your mental health. Your willpower and thinking will help you a lot in maintaining a sound mind. You must first learn to love yourself and accept your realities. Loving yourself as you are would remove the feeling of guilt, worthlessness, and depression from you. It would make you think positively of yourself. It would also make you feel happy and give you the drive you need to overcome many of the challenges you might encounter in life.
There are things you can engage into ward off depression and anxiety. Engage yourself in physical activity, such as exercises, travel, etc. Develop a good hobby and surround yourself with good people. All of these will have positive impacts on your physical and mental health. A mental health journal might help you. Click here to learn more.
If you are facing mental challenges at your place of work, this will bounce back to distress your physical health. You may start to experience worry, increased blood pressure, fear, stomach ache and so forth. If you notice that your condition is negatively impacting your work life, you should consider social security disability because some mental health issues are covered by it.
The Bottom Line
Your overall health should be your number one priority–no matter what. Living the best version of your life is not always easy, but it is necessary to lead a stable life. If you are struggling with managing your mental and physical health, it doesn’t hurt to seek medical attention. You want to learn as much as you can to better your life once and for all.