Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional, and everything that is written in this post is to be used for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! When you live with pain, sometimes your mental health takes a hit because pain doesn’t make you happy and can make you a little depressed. Mental health is just as important as your physical health, but often it is not prioritized as much, and sometimes people don’t work on improving their mental health until it becomes severe. People in pain have a much higher likelihood of struggling with depression and anxiety because pain makes you anxious about when your next flare will be and sad when it happens. Good mental health is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for people who struggle with pain and have a decreased quality. Mental illnesses are common when you live with pain, and you shouldn’t be ashamed if you are struggling with depression because it’s hard to watch your friends do an activity and not be able to participate. How can you improve your mental health when you live with pain? In this post, I am going to talk about how I improve my mental health while living with pain.
Talk to a therapist– If you are struggling with depression so bad that you can barely get out of bed, it might be a good idea to speak with a therapist. Everyone can benefit from therapy, and you don’t need to have a mental illness to have a therapist, but it can be especially beneficial for disabled people or anyone with chronic pain. Disabled people struggle with challenges that most people don’t struggle with, and sometimes it’s frustrating and can affect your mental health. My anxiety is not the cause of my pain, but I do have more anxiety because I live with pain. You should never be afraid to seek the advice of a therapist, and don’t let anyone tell you it’s a sign of weakness because it’s strength. Only strong people are able to recognize that they can’t do it alone and will do whatever it takes to get better. I do not have a therapist because I don’t feel like I need one right now, but if my mental health were to take a turn, I am not against therapy and think it can help a lot of people. Find a good therapist if you are struggling with your mental health, because sometimes therapists can give you coping mechanisms that you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.
Talk to people who can relate to pain– Chronic pain can feel isolating sometimes because it is often invisible, which can be difficult for people without pain to understand. Family and friends try to be supportive of your pain, are sometimes they are, but it can be hard for family and friends to understand pain that they have never experienced. You can try to help your friends and family try and understand your pain, but sometimes they are not going to get it and may give you advice with good intentions that is not helpful and a little insensitive. When you have no one in your life who understands what it’s like to be in pain 24/7, sometimes you may feel alone and misunderstood, which is why it can be helpful to reach out to people who live with chronic pain. People in pain do not always understand every type of pain that you are struggling but they can relate, which can make you feel validated and improve your mental health. If you don’t have someone in your life who struggles with chronic pain, reach out to someone online because the internet is filled with chronic pain advocates.
Eat a healthy diet- When it comes to improving your mental health, people often know that therapy can help, but often forget about how much diet plays a role in pain management. Diet and mental health are connected because when you aren’t taking care of your body, you are going to feel more sluggish, and it’s going to negatively affect your mood. There are many types of diets that can benefit people in pain, and not everyone is going to eat in the same way, and that is okay because the most important thing is that you find something that works for you. Make sure you are eating in a way that supports your pain, because if you are not, it will cause more pain, which will contribute to your poor mental health. A healthy diet is one of the most overlooked ways that can improve your mental health.
Do something that makes you happy– When I am having a bad mental health day, I try and do things that will lift my spirits and improve my mood. I sometimes will go and exercise if I am feeling down because that gives me energy, and I am always happy and energized after I exercise. Exercise helps me improve my mental health, but you don’t have to do the same things as me if your pain is making it difficult to exercise. Find an activity that makes you happy and relaxed, and for some people, that is going to be coloring a few pictures, and for others, it may be taking a hot bath. It doesn’t matter what activity you choose to do because the most important thing is that you are doing something that brings you joy. The worst thing that you can do if you are having a bad mental health day is to sit and do nothing about it.
Sleep more– When you struggle with chronic pain, sometimes it can be difficult to get good quality sleep because the pain prevents you from being able to sleep, but you should try. Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety and sometimes make you feel depressed, so do what it takes to get more sleep, and you may feel slightly better. Good sleep may not necessarily cure your depression, but it can help prevent it from getting worse because sleep deprivation affects your mood.
Don’t hang around toxic people– It can be difficult to avoid family members who bring you down because you can’t always cut family members out of your life, but you do have control over who your friends are. The people you hang around are so important because your friends can either have a positive or a negative impact on you. If you don’t have to, don’t hang around toxic people who don’t believe your pain is real because it will negatively affect your mental health. In high school, I had a lot of toxic friends, and as soon as I cut these people out of my life, a huge weight was lifted, and my mental health drastically improved.
Get an emotional support animal- Therapy can be so helpful, but it can be expensive and is not an option for some people. I don’t have any pets for my mental health, but I do have friends who have emotional support animals, and it helps on bad mental health days. An emotional support animal can help give you comfort and not feel alone on days when your mental health is not the greatest.
Get some sunshine- Before I started walking outside, I struggled with depression that I originally thought was because I was in pain all the time, and it was making me depressed. My pain levels have not changed, but I don’t think my pain was causing my depression, and it was that I was inside all the time, because as soon as I started going outside regularly, I felt happier. You don’t have to exercise outside, but never underestimate the power of regular sunlight because it can do so much good for your mental health.
When you are struggling with your mental health, sometimes people are hesitant to seek support because they don’t want their friends to think they are weak. Mental health struggles are nothing to be ashamed about and shouldn’t be ignored because it’s only going to get worse if you don’t deal with it. Therapy can help improve your mental health, but it’s not an option for everyone, and the good news is it’s not the only way to improve your mental health. Don’t neglect your mental health because it’s just as important as your physical health, and you deserve to be happy. Mental health struggles are common amongst disabled and chronically ill people because we live in an inaccessible world, and sometimes our pain gets the best of us. Do what you can to improve your mental health, and don’t be embarrassed to speak up about it. How do you improve your mental health while living with pain? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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