gandalftheginge Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I wanted to create some kind of general poll/pool of thoughts on this topic. I've heard loads of times from therapists and others that physical and mental health are linked, that one directly effects the other. This mostly seems to involve things like irritible bowl syndrome, muscle and joint pains, sleep problems, headaches/migraines. I was interested to see what kind of physical effects you all find you have that might be related to your mental health and how you cope with them. Do you think you could treat them effectively or will they always be part of your life? Roughly the same time as I began getting anxiey/OCD, I started to develop IBS and a very sensitive digestive system, something which I've had since. Also, although I sleep quite a while, I can't say I ever feel very refreshed. I don't do a great deal about these, I'm trying to lose weight to see if that helps, but I don't know how to tackle sleep. Maybe I have the wrong idea that people normally wake up feeling energetic? Ash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threemoons Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hi Ash. I also believe that the physical body is linked to the mind. Both can influence the other. From all the stress I developped a skin disease (psoriasis) and I think it won't go away, now I even have it when not so stressed anymore. Then there's the oversleep, if I have nothing to do in the morning I sleep until 12 o'clock. Bad habit, I know but I feel so secure hidden in my bed. Muscles pain I have after a strong anxiety attack, as all my body tenses then. I don't experiment true headaches but sensory overloads which are painful too in a way. Then for the physical stuff influencing the mental one, there's the benefits of physical activity on the brain, which we've all experimented. The relaxation techniques we daily use like breathing, yoga, stretching, massages, etc. The effects of sleep and alimentation... I think there's room for experimentation there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinyshine Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hi, I think they're linked too. When I feel bad then I seem to feel more nauseous, headachey, tired, my back hurts, and I can't sleep. I suppose part of it might be because I don't eat very much when I feel bad, so no wonder my body feels weird. And I've never woken up feeling energetic, but then I do have insomnia... and I'm a student. Who wakes up energetic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havehope Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I go to the gym 2-3 times a week...although I never feel the endorphine rush people talk about..I eat healthier and people often say I look 45 and not 55 ( my bod is very toned now ) ... aestetic benefits are good too ( the women will be throwing themselves at you ) !!....also the motivation factor of getting out of my place and being around other helps as I live on my own... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyheartemma Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Sorry Ash this doesn't really answer your question, it's just something vaguely related that I feel really strongly about. I'll see if I can answer your actual questions another time. I have IBS too and a sensitive digestive system not to mention lots of other physical problems. I believe there is a connection. Mental health problems can cause physical health problems and it can also happen the other way round- if you have a physical condition that means you're prone to fainting for example no one would blame you for feeling anxious about it. But you can't just assume one causes the other, you have to look at them separately as well. I have met a lot of doctors who dismiss my physical problems simply because I have mental health problems- they see my physical problems either as not being real or as a direct result of depression/anxiety. This might or might not be true but whatever the original cause was my physical problems are real and ignoring them does not make them go away, they should be treated as seriously as anyone else's physical problems. There will be times when you can treat the symptoms by removing the cause but often that's impossible and refusing to treat someone just because their symptoms are probably caused by anxiety could be really dangerous. I was told to "avoid stressful situations" to slow my heartbeat down. This was unrealistic considering my home life is stressful but it was also a dangerous assumption to make because it turns out I did need to see a cardiologist. The GPs I saw refused to refer me because of my mh problems, it was a paramedic who didn't know about my mh problems who made the referral and that was the right thing to do. Of course there are times when I need people to look at me as a whole person and look at my physical health problems as well as my mental health ones. My CMHT wanted me to socialise more so I was referred to a group I couldn't physically join in with and a group that I couldn't travel to for physical reasons. Because one had said she wasn't interested in my physical problems and one decided she didn't believe in them, they were unable to see the whole picture which meant they came up with unrealistic plans. So I would say yes there is often a connection and it's better not to consider one without also considering the other. But which ever one came first, both are genuine and both needed to be treated or monitored. The patient might be in serious danger. But even if they're not there's a good chance they're in serious discomfort. I'm sorry for not answering your question. I feel like I'm being really difficult and awkward. To be honest my physical problems have been trivialised by so many people. I know you're not trivialising it at all but I feel uncomfortable about linking them so closely when I've spent so many years begging the doctors to see them as genuine problems that need treating. I think they will always be part of my life and I think they will continue to get worse- that's what's happened so far. Actually my heart and thyroid are technically in better shape but every year I get weaker. Waking up refreshed? I've read about it in books but for years I thought it was a myth till one day I woke up feeling refreshed. That was about 13 years ago, it hasn't happened since! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffryder Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I think there is some link there. I really struggle to do alot of physical stuff as i get aches and cant relax and also know that anxiaty has caused my sensitive digestive system to the point its completly changed my relationship with food. And i think with sleeping most people with mh problems suffer from this at some point. In my case is the fatuige caused by my mental problems or is my mental problems made worse by being fatuiged it does seem though that alot of people that excercise regularly still suffer so is it the best cure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalftheginge Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thank you for the replies everyone, its good to see how different people are affected. I definitely think I should live a healthier and more active life, but so many things get in the way. Oh god Em,I'm really sorry if I've upset you. I didn't think about it that way and I really hope I didn't trivialize it. I know all your health problems are genuine and id never think otherwise, you as deserving of medical treatment and attention as anyone else. I'm sorry you've been treated badly by these medical professionals in the past. Sorry again, I hope you're not upset. I wish I could take them all away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tantalus227 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Fibromyalgia. It can get into a very vicious cycle too. My body hurts, I get upset so my body hurts more and my mental health gets worse :-/ It's hard some days not to get into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Settng Sun Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Interesting topic, Ash! From my own personal experience, I do think that I have suffered some physical issues, and I definitely relate to the problems regarding the digestive system. I started taking acidophilus bifidus and it significantly helped me, I have to say. Which was a great surprise because almost everything I have ever taken for anything never seems to work! I have suffered from a mix of extreme tiredness and sleeplessness as well, which I'm sure is linked. Strangely however, it has never seemed to affect my asthma even though asthma is quite often linked closely to stress in so much that it tends to be at its worse when you're stressed. My asthma has actually been a lot better lately and yet my mental health, well, hasn't! Very odd. No idea if that helps you, Ash, but like I say it's certainly an interesting subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humblegrub Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I get what I call stabbys I think it must be a form of ibs where it feels like someone's literally plunging a knife into my stomach over and over but it only lasts two seconds but cripples me and I collapse alot due to anxiety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily-Bee Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I am tired loads,I have IBS,I get headaches. All stress Im sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDBPD Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Same as most here...sensitive digestive system I don't eat many types of food.. processed..red meat..high fat..high sodium..starchy..long list. Cramps and headaches... Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyheartemma Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 No I'm not upset Ash Tbh I was really glad to have the chance to say all that, finally it seemed vaguely relevant so I grabbed the chance haha The only people who trivialise it are doctors and family members (though there are some lovely doctors out there and some family members are worse than others). In other words the people who think they know me but haven't actually bothered to get to know me. You're not like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basimelhabashy Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Mental health disorders also have a serious impact on physical health and are associated with the prevalence, progression, and outcome of some of today’s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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