How Mental Health Effects Your Physical Health
Mental health and physical health are often thought of as two different entities. Mental health has to do with moods, feelings, thoughts and behaviors, while physical health has to do with the science of one’s physiology. It is true that mental health and physical health are not the same thing, but to say that they are separate is incorrect. The more health professionals learn, the more they realize that mental health and physical health have a fluid relationship with one another and effect one another in many ways. Their attributes are not mutually exclusive from one another, but rather have a mysterious but observable relationship with one another.
When a person’s mental health is good, meaning they have a balanced lifestyle and functional thought and behavioral patterns, it effects their physical health in a positive way. This is not to say that they have a direct relationship with one another. Physical and mental health are also largely independent from one another. However, the tendency for positive mental health to contribute in a positive way to physical health has been observed. Healthy coping, stress management and positive self talk have been known to reduce unpleasant physical symptoms and even cure disease. Medical science does not have an explanation for this, but it has certainly observed it.
Similarly, poor mental health can be destructive to a person’s physical health. This connection is easier to observe than in good mental health. The connection between poor mental health and poor physical health can sometimes be observed clear as day. Stress and adversity is listed in the causes of many physical illnesses, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases and skin conditions. Stress can be observed to cause stomach aches, headaches and flu like symptoms, as well as cause skin breakouts and flare ups of many conditions. Prolonged stress, anger, anxiety and depression has a negative impact on all bodily symptoms. It is very true that people need to manage their mental health problems in order to live a full life.