Hanging by a thread

What doesn’t seem to be common knowledge is that, with the onset of Mental health conditions, you become increasingly likely to develop certain physical ailments. It’s not just that you immune system is diminished but conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can become more likely.

The mental health condition, depending on the type, has an impact on the hormones your body secretes, it can impact hunger and digestion giving you trouble processing food and receiving nutrients which can make you deficient in vitamins and minerals.

We’ve only recently started to look at these things holistically. That the mind impact the brain and body, and vice versa. And while Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors most of them still treat you as though you are two separate entities, a mind AND a body. Not a complete being.

Unfortunately this means that, for now at least, it’s up to you to make sure you’re getting adequate care for both of these aspects, except no one warns you that having a condition like CPTSD means you’re likely to develop muscular skeletal problems and arthritis due to the increased Cortisol your body now produces.

Thats all to say, I have Arthritis in both my hands and on days like today I wish they were detachable.