Living with physical and mental illness

Health is a complex concept. A holistic view of health allows for multiple aspects to be examined, including physical, mental, social and spiritual health. These different facets interconnect and feed into each other, creating an intricate person as a whole. 

   

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Physical and mental health are highly related. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, people with a mental illness are at a higher risk for a chronic physical illness. It works the other way, too: If you have a chronic physical condition, your mental health is at risk. Some disorders concern both the body and the mind, including hypochondria, eating disorders and insomnia. 

A combination of mental and physical symptoms can be more debilitating than either on its own. It creates a double struggle. If you are having mental health issues, it might be difficult to attend to physical symptoms. Physical conditions can also increase psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

If you are in this situation, it is possible that you have an extended medical treatment team. You might, for instance, have a primary care physician, a psychiatrist and a specialist for your physical condition. In order to receive the best possible treatment, it becomes extremely important to be open and honest with all of them. If one doctor puts you on a medication that is contraindicated with one you are on from another, you can have very bad reactions. Your primary care physician, especially, should get documentation from everyone you visit. It can be hard to talk about mental illness with someone who doesn’t specialize in it, but do it anyway. She can always consult with colleagues if she is stumped. 

Self-care can help mediate the barrage of symptoms. Taking time to let go of everything else and do something that feels good for you is important. Try to think of things that make you feel better mentally and physically. Listening to and focusing on music can be cathartic emotionally while distracting you from your pain. Exercise is very effective in improving depression and can be part of healing some physical illnesses as well (talk to your doctor about what is safe if you have a physical condition). Getting a massage gives you a nice, relaxing break while relieving muscle tension.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can reduce stress, which negatively impacts both physical and mental health. If you can’t do heavy lifting, call your brother. If you are struggling in school because of a condition, talk to your school’s accessibility services. If a work task becomes difficult, ask a colleague to help or talk to your boss about possibly changing your responsibilities. If you can’t get out of bed, ask a friend to drop off dinner and maybe have a chat. If you would be willing to do it for someone else, there is probably someone willing to do it for you, too.

Having limitations due to illness can be discouraging. It might mean giving up your favorite hobby. It could exclude you from having certain careers. It means you may have to be more dependent on your loved ones. But there are still ways you can contribute. Just find the things you can do, no matter how small. It adds up and you never know how much something will matter to someone else. We are all interdependent and your contributions, while maybe not as obvious or notable as those of others, are part of what makes your relationships work. 

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As someone living with multiple physical and mental health conditions, I have found that attitude is essential in this situation. When I give in to feeling discouraged, I become more dysfunctional. I lay in bed all day thinking negatively about how I am laying in bed, then I keep doing that. When I focus on how I made my brother happy by spending time with him, had all of my studying pay off at the end of the semester or wrote four blog posts in one day (it happened once), it’s a lot easier to be healthier. When I concentrate on enjoying the things I am doing, it gives me more motivation to keep doing those and other things. 

It’s a special kind of burden to struggle with illnesses of both the mind and the body. Don’t do it alone. Let those around you help you, whether it’s your medical team or your neighbor. When everyone does what they can, things tend to fall into place eventually.

Do you struggle with both physical and mental health? Tell us what you find helpful in the comments.