Chronic disease and mental health
Mental health and the body
Stress is a normal part of life that can affect people with good physical health negatively. When not managed effectively, stress can be pervasive and severely affect physical and mental health. Stress affects the body by making it more difficult for our bodies to fight infection, it can disrupt sleep and decrease pain tolerance. The physical symptoms of unmanaged stress can be uncomfortable and distracting under normal circumstances, and unbearable if left unchecked. Mentally, the tension and pressure of stress can add to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, which can trigger a host of debilitating mental health issues that make peace of mind and joy impossible. Due to these factors, chronic disease and mental health issues can become indistinguishable when trying to reduce uncomfortable symptoms.
Mental health and increased health risks
COVID 19 has presented new challenges that provoke anxiety and even despair. We each decide what our health risks are and determine how to manage it. Uncertainty tests the coping abilities of the most relaxed and optimistic of individuals. An increased stress level is normal and expected. Fortunately, most people adapt to the increased health and isolation demands that increased risk of contagion brings without additional support.
Chronic disease and mental health
Undeniably, chronic stress due to medical conditions can be debilitating. There are continuous physical, emotional, and social demands placed on the individual. Medical conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and obesity require care that can be difficult and stressful to manage. Days filled with doctor visits, complicated regimes of multiple medications, and cumbersome devices to be able to live independently make a normal day challenging. Accepting the added stress of having a medical condition is part of adjusting to lifestyle changes required in order to be as healthy as possible.
With health risks, added stress taxes the resources of the individual and increases anxiety, irrational fears, hopelessness and helplessness. These symptoms can be debilitating and make adjusting to changing demands impossible. With underlying medical conditions and the chronic stress associated with them, increased anxiety and stress due to fear of exposure to infections can make a bad situation unbearable. Increased anxiety weakens the immune response and reduces the ability to fight off disease, decreasing the body’s ability to recuperate after an infection.
Support for good mental health
With this increased vulnerability, added support is crucial. Help and the right perspective can help better manage stress and reduce debilitating effects. Mental health counseling provides both to struggling individuals who are making their best effort to adjust to difficult situations. If you are one of these individuals, please do not hesitate to call our office to schedule an appointment. Teletherapy appointments are available for those who prefer to remain at home.
by Rebeca Bright, PsyD
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