Mind/body connection

One thing I have not discussed much on this blog is the physical health part of my story and how it ties in with the mental health part. This is basically called the mind-body connection. Historically, society didn’t believe there was a connection. There was physical and there was mental. People with mental health conditions were treated terribly, and this connection was rarely explored. But this has changed. Science now says there is a definite mind-body connection, and this is evident in many ways.

The body’s nervous system, hormones, and immune system connect mental and physical processes. Starting with the physical, people with chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. On the flip side, stress and anxiety can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, weakened immunity, chronic illness, sleep issues, and fatigue. People struggling emotionally may exercise less, eat poorly, smoke or drink or do drugs, and skip medical care. All these actions have a physical impact. Lack of nutrition and sleep worsens mood and concentration. People with mental health conditions are also more likely to have inflammation in their body. Physical activity can improve mood and emotional resilience by releasing brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, but other stress hormones like cortisol affect the mood and body system differently. It may seem like just words but I’m here to tell you about my personal experience with the mind-body connection.

I know I talk a lot about my mental health, but my experience started with problems I had with my physical health. I moved to England to get my master’s and once I got there, I started having physical health issues. It started with my stomach, and I was having issues with bleeding. It was alarming, and it kept getting worse. The doctors couldn’t find a reason for it. As time went on, I started experiencing physical pain and numbness or tingling in my body. I felt like it was my fault, and there are many reasons why that is, but I’ll discuss them later. So, I didn’t tell anyone in the beginning, but as I started my PhD, it got so much worse. I had to tell my family. I called my mom crying because I was having difficulty even walking to my university. It took time to work through it and understand, but ultimately, I decided to fly home for two weeks to see doctors. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I had scans of my whole body, and I was tested for dozens of conditions, but nothing explained it. The doctors diagnosed me with IBS and Fibromyalgia. They prescribed some medications, and I went back to England.

I don’t when the physical symptoms got better because it was hard for a long time, but eventually there was a swap. My mental health became the issue. I was having panic and anxiety attacks, manic episodes, and depressive episodes. I was also in the throes of a serious pill addiction. When I look back, I was holding on to a lot of secrets. I had some serious credit card debt, I was lying to doctors and stealing from friends to get pills, and I knew that something was wrong mentally, but I kept it a secret. On top of that, I was trying to get my PhD. I was staying up at all hours of the night working. I was obsessive and manic, and then I’d be so depressed. Maybe because I ran out of pills but also because I was undiagnosed bipolar. Everything was my fault. There was an overlap between the physical and mental but eventually, the physical did subside, and I spent about five years battling my mental health.

Something about my situation triggered my OCD and I became obsessive about my health. I was convinced I had cancer or a tumor. By this point, I really was in psychosis, and I became so certain I had a cyst in my throat that I cut it open to get it out. When I went to the doctor for a throat infection, they were baffled. I obviously didn’t tell them the truth. Once I was diagnosed and in treatment, I also had health concerns because of my medication. I now have high cholesterol, and I’ve gained a lot of weight. It’s a concern, but it comes with the territory of having a mental health condition.

Within the last year, my mental health has become 100x better but what’s interesting is the physical symptoms have come back. I’m having issues with my stomach and bleeding, and I have a lot of aches and pains. I don’t understand the switch, but ultimately, I think I was always struggling with both physical and mental health conditions. Both were just worse at certain points. But don’t worry, this time I know how to handle the physical problems and of course, because of the mind-body connections, I can take care of my mental health, too.

I want to try somatic therapy in the future. It’s a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the connection between mind and body. Other than that, follow the checklists of coping skills I’ve posted about previously if you are struggling.

The mind and body are connected. You got this.

xoxo