Every day someone is trying to make it through the day. Yesterday someone was crying over being mistreated. Today someone is wondering if their family really loves them. Last week someone had an emotional breakdown from pent up stress. There are people in this world that struggle daily with emotional abuse, depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Loved ones that say they are fine, but really are not. Friends and coworkers who hide behind a smile just so they don’t bring attention to their pain. As if it is unacceptable to talk about being sad. So instead, we hide it. That is until it becomes physical.
One without the other
Mental health and physical health are so tightly intertwined that it is nearly impossible to treat one without addressing the other. Here is the issue. Mental health issues are much easier to hide than physical health issues. As mental health issues are internal and felt. Making diagnosing, acknowledging, and treating more challenging. But most physical health issues are seen as well as felt.
Last week I talked about my emotional breakdown I experienced that morning. My constant mental health challenges and stress are affecting my physical health now. Well, it probably has been for some time. Physically, I have been battling high blood pressure as well. I have had this problem for at least 25 years. Been prescribed medication multiple times. Being one that struggles to take medicine regularly, I would go months, into years without taking it.
The physical event
That all came to a swift halt last Friday. Last week I described my crying and screaming I did in the morning. But it was Friday morning at 2:45AM when my body yelled back. I woke up to give my son some medicine because his nose was stuffy. Got out of bed, walked to the bathroom for the medication, and then walked into his room. Then it hit. I had a wave of uneasy feelings run over my body. I knew right away what was about to happen and that I needed to sit down. But I didn’t have time. I fainted and I went down, hard.
When I came to, I could see and hear, but couldn’t move. I heard my son call out to my husband to let him know I fell. My head started hurting, but I just couldn’t find any energy to move my arms or legs. My husband handed me a cup of water and I sipped some. But then after I gave it back, I blacked out again. Seconds later, I woke up on my back. My head was now really hurting, but I was getting my senses back and was able to move. I was strong enough at this point to get up from the floor and walk to my bed. Decided at that time to check my blood pressure. It was low, but not super low.
The why
First, should I have gone to the hospital? Probably. But here is the thing. I have fainted a few times in my life. This is why I knew what was about to happen. Usually, it is from being in a stuffy room and getting too overheated. Or it is from a quick severe pain. This time was a little different. Neither of those were the issue. I hit my head on my son’s metal bunk bed frame when I went down. And yes, I did contact my doctor in which they wanted to see me a few days later.
Here is my point about all of this. In talking with my doctor and reviewing my latest bloodwork, we are checking my heart just as a precaution there is no underlying issue. Otherwise, this seems to be attributed to the emotional stress and energy my body went through the day before. Mental health and the energy we build up from trauma, stress, and abuse causes bodily harm. There is a blog from an Arizona recovery center that I felt outlines the connection pretty well. They show how various mental health disorders are closely connected to physical ailments. How one can easily develop the other.
Taking care of our whole self
Every day we all get a little older. Each day our bodies and our minds need a little more attention to stay healthy. We see so many commercials about various physical ailments. “Do you suffer from this? Take this medication and start living your life again.” Sound familiar? When was the last time you saw a commercial about anxiety? What about depression? Or even PTSD? To treat one, we must acknowledge the other. Understanding that my emotional unbalance and extreme energy burst can cause a fainting spell, gives me motivation to work on all of me. Finding that having high blood pressure can also cause anxiety episodes pushes me to stay focus on maintaining my numbers.
Just because we cannot see when someone is fighting mental health disorders, doesn’t mean we can just ignore it. Speak up, seek help, talk to professionals, or just do something. Hiding our mental health will only fight back harder. I was lucky last week. Someone else may not be so lucky in the future.
With great warmth,
