We now have a greater understanding of mental health and wellbeing than ever before.  

Years of research have advanced how we view and treat mental illness, as well as reducing the social stigma that is sometimes associated, with the aim of treating mental and physical health as being of equal importance. 

That said, our mental and physical wellbeing are often unavoidably interlinked; mental health conditions can impact us physically, and vice versa. This article examines some of the links between the body and the mind and how we can support sufferers who feel the impact of both. 

The impact of chronic illness on mental health

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, sufferers of chronic health conditions are not only more likely to experience depression, but those who experience both are likely to experience more severe symptoms across comorbidities. 

There are a number of reasons for this. Naturally managing a chronic health condition can be limiting and isolating, particularly if the sufferer is not well enough to participate in otherwise everyday activities due to their condition, or struggles with accessibility when they do so. 

Anxiety and its physical symptoms 

It might be unsurprising to some that anxiety has a host of unpleasant physical symptoms. 

These include but are not limited to headaches, chest pains, nausea and other stomach complaints, and even dental pain.  

The reason for this is evolutionary; severe anxiety triggers the body’s fight or flight instincts, the ones developed by long-gone ancestors whose greatest threats would have been animals higher on the food chain. 

While the types of threats many sufferers may face are not to the same scale, the impact very much evokes this same evolutionary reaction which subsequently causes extreme physical and emotional distress in the sufferer. 

How sexual wellness can affect self-esteem  

Our mental state can significantly affect our sex lives. 

But the opposite can also be true – physical or physiological conditions can equally impact self-esteem. 

Peyronie’s disease is one such example. Commonly affecting men between the ages of 40–70 years old, sufferers can also feel too embarrassed to seek help, whilst simultaneously experiencing shame as a result of their condition, which negatively affects their self-image and relationships. 

However, sufferers can benefit from a shame-free environment, whose pioneering and painless process can help alleviate the condition in just six sessions. 

How sleep affects emotional regulation 

It’s well established that the way we sleep profoundly affects our cognition and performance during the day. 

But it can also have a severe impact on our emotional wellbeing too. Emotions such as irritability, anxiety, and depression – ironically some of the most significant causes of sleep deprivation – are significantly exacerbated on too little sleep. 

Better sleep regulation can in turn improve these symptoms – experts generally recommend limiting screen time before bed, but a podcast in the background can ease the mind into a state of relaxation. 

Instead of a soothing bedtime story, Bolster reads out the dullest Wikipedia articles he can find. This peculiar combination has proven hugely relaxing to listeners, and is available for free in plenty of places. 

While readers should never self-diagnose and should always seek the help of a medical professional, these are four ways in which physical and mental health very often meet in the middle.

Robert Haynes, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.