When you’re living with a mental health problem, taking care of yourself can be difficult. Due to problems such as stress eating, depression, anxiety, you are more likely to have heart disease.
By taking small steps towards a healthier lifestyle, you can improve your overall health and feel better about yourself. Let’s explore the connection between your state of mind and your heart health and how emotional stress can affect your heart health.
What is a mental health problem or condition?
Everyone goes through a rough or difficult time in their life, so it’s normal to feel anxious at times. But if these feelings persist and affect your daily life, it could be a mental health problem.
According to a 2017 NCBI study, nearly one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. Some common mental health issues include:
DepressionHave a long-term mental health problem
Anxiety disorder– a disorder that includes social anxiety disorder, phobia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mood swings what used to be called manic depression, which causes severe, unexpected mood swings
why this situation arises
In this regard, Dr. Kher says that emotional stress, broken heart syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy, occurs when a person suddenly experiences a lot of stress, which causes the heart muscle to break down quickly.
Linking Heart Health to Mental Health Issues (Emotional Stress and Heart Attack)
TS Kher, head of the department of cardiology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, says that if you have mental health problems, you are at risk of developing heart disease. You can make some healthy changes to your routine to reduce this risk and improve your overall health.
quit smoking
maintain a healthy weight
be physically active
eat a healthy diet
manage high blood pressure
diabetes management
manage high cholesterol
reduce alcohol consumption
How to deal with heart problems caused by psychological problems
According to Dr. Kher, taking care of yourself if you have a mental health condition can sometimes feel overwhelming, but taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle will keep both your body and mind healthy.
1 Be physically active
Physical activity can improve your mental health. It can produce chemicals in your brain that act somewhat like antidepressants and can help reduce anxiety or depression. This will help you focus and also make you feel better about yourself.
Try to be active every day. Every minute counts! Being active can help you sleep better, cope, boost your energy levels, and give you a more organized routine.
eat a healthy diet
It is important to have a healthy and balanced diet to keep your whole body functioning well. Your mental health status can change the way you think about food.
Some medications can increase or decrease your appetite. If you are concerned that a medication you are taking may be affecting your weight, talk to your doctor.
2 Try to quit smoking
It is a common belief that smoking relaxes you, but smoking actually increases anxiety and stress. Smoking can also prevent your mental health medications from working properly. This means that if you do not smoke, you will need to take a higher dose. Therefore, when you quit or stop smoking, your doctor may reduce the dose you normally take.
If you smoke, the short-term benefits may outweigh the higher risk of developing smoking-related health problems, such as lung cancer and heart and circulatory disease. Quitting smoking has great benefits for your health, and it’s never too late to quit.
3 cuts of wine
Alcohol is a depressant and can change your mood quickly. You may drink to make yourself feel better or to help you cope with the symptoms of your mental health condition, but it can make your condition worse. Drinking alcohol can cause various health problems.
Drinking alcohol can increase your emotional intensity. This is why many people become especially irritable, angry, anxious, or sad when they consume alcohol.
You should not drink alcohol while taking certain types of medication. Therefore, it is important that you get it checked by a doctor.
