Can Physical Illness Affect You Mentally?

Do you ever feel like you aren’t entirely sure whether you’re physically sick or experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety? Or both?

Yes. There does come a time when we are physically unwell, and it affects our mental health. And that is often the case for me.

This is something that I struggle with on a regular basis. I find it terribly challenging to distinguish between the physical manifestation of mental illness—shaking, weakness, lethargy, dizziness, heavy limbs, palpitations, low energy, headaches—and a cold or bug developing. As a person in recovery, I am acutely aware of the desire to avoid any difficult feelings which underlies the importance of having body awareness.

As a person who has suffered from mental illness—depression and anxiety—for my entire life, I know first-hand just how challenging keeping those conditions are. Getting sober goes a long way toward improving those conditions, but just like sobriety, they require regular maintenance.

How to Maintain Mental Wellness

I maintain my mental health with exercise, eating well, staying sober, regular human contact, daylight, outdoor activities every day, journaling, therapy—much the same activities to maintain my recovery.

It makes sense that staying indoors, in bed, without human contact, can affect most people’s state of mind. But if you have underlying mental health conditions, it can exacerbate them. It’s possible to experience low mood, feel isolated and withdrawn, and don’t want to speak to anyone. My anxiety gets so bad that I can feel my heartbeat in my throat and feel like I have a brick in my chest. The longer I stay inside the worse it gets and the more difficult it becomes to leave the house. It can be paralyzing.

Feeling like that makes being physically unwell worse—I often feel like I’m fighting internally. I resist mental illness as well as my body fighting an infection. When I am in that place of resistance, I push myself until I am physically unable to continue. That is utterly exhausting and is not helpful for healing.

Healthy Coping Strategies

It is only through pain that I have learned my most valuable lessons. And recovery is all about trial and error and seeing what works for you. Over the last five years, I have developed a few coping strategies that help me keep sober, sane, and recover quickly.

• Self-care: I take regular hot showers, inhale the steam, use my favorite soaps and lotions. I find this helps alleviate some symptoms.
• Hydrate and nourish: I drink a gallon of water and I eat lots of nutritious and comforting food like soups, broths, and stews with lots of vegetables. Or I can make a smoothie if I don’t have the energy to cook. I buy a stock of frozen fruits for quick go-to smoothies.
• Routine: I try not to stay in bed all day, even if it means lying on the sofa with the window open and the sun visible. Lying in bed will only ever make me feel worse. If I need to sleep, I give myself a one-hour window for regular naps—but I set my alarm and I get up.
• Short bursts of fresh air: Wrapped up, I take myself for short walks around the block. If I can’t get out, I’ll try some gentle stretches.
• Connection: I check-in with friends in recovery for feeling connected and supported.
• Comfort: I find ways to comfort myself: hot tea, comfy clothes, PJs, wool blankets, TV, my favorite book, or cuddling with a pet.

What I have found most helpful is showing myself some compassion. My body or my mind—maybe even both—are telling me to slow down, rest, and recuperate. Fighting myself will only make me feel sicker. Knowing how to care for yourself can be vital to lasting recovery.

By – Olivia Pennelle

Writer and wellness advocate, Olivia Pennelle (Liv), is in long-term recovery. She passionately believes in a fluid and holistic approach to recovery. Read more