The Link Between Mental and Physical Health

In 1946, the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Our overall health reflects everything about us, yet many still separate mental and physical health.

Whether you struggle with a physical ailment or a mental illness, the effects often have repercussions for both mind and body. Let’s explore how physical and mental health are intertwined to show you the benefits of treating both equally.

Dr. Temeka Johnson and her dedicated staff at Quality Health Source in Mableton, Georgia, understand the connection, and they help their patients cope with an array of medical issues that affect physical and mental health.

Definitions of mental and physical health

Physical health generally refers to how well our bodily functions and processes work. Factors include whether you have a disease, how well you eat, and whether you get adequate exercise.

Maintaining good physical health requires a healthy diet, physical activity, and safe environments to avoid accidents and injuries.

Mental health relates to emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Diagnosing mental illness can be harder than diagnosing physical illness, and because of long-standing stigmas about conditions like depression and anxiety, people are often more hesitant to seek help.

How mental health affects the body

Chronic mental health issues can have lasting effects on your body, including:

Depression/anxiety

Depression has links to many physical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, asthma, and arthritis. Anxiety frequently increases stress and causes sleeping issues.

Schizophrenia

People coping with this illness have a higher risk of respiratory diseases and heart disease.

Bipolar disorder

Similar to anxiety, this mental illness increases problems with sleeping and stress.

Dementia

This condition affects many essential cognitive functions, and long-term complications can impact your ability to maintain balance, swallow food, and control bladder function. It also alters how you experience pain and can change your heart rhythm and blood pressure.

Addiction issues with drug dependency and smoking also carry risks to the body.

How physical health affects the mind

Things that connect physical conditions and mental health include dopamine and estrogen levels, and the emotional impact of a serious disease. Changes in these hormones can occur for many reasons, and may contribute to psychosis in postpartum women, for example.

Other hormones, such as insulin, cortisol, and leptin, can affect eating disorders, ADHD, and schizophrenia.

You have only one body, so taking care of your total health means caring for all aspects of the body. To learn more about protecting your health, make an appointment by phone or online today with Dr. Johnson and her team at Quality Health Source.