Why Mental Health and Physical Health Shouldn't Be Treated Separately

For generations, Americans have tended to think about mental health and physical health as two different things.

If your blood pressure is high, you see a medical provider. If your stomach hurts, you look for a physical cause. If you cannot sleep, you may blame your mattress, your schedule, or that cup of coffee you had too late in the day.

But the human body doesn't draw such neat lines.

Stress, anxiety, depression, chronic illness and physical health can affect one another in ways that are sometimes easy to overlook. That's one reason healthcare providers increasingly emphasize treating the whole person rather than separating mental and physical health into different boxes.

Almost everyone knows what stress feels like emotionally. What may be less obvious is what happens inside the body.

During periods of stress, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart beats faster, blood vessels constrict, and blood pressure can temporarily rise.

That's useful when the body needs to respond to an immediate threat. The problem comes when stress becomes chronic.

Repeated or prolonged stress can contribute to cardiovascular strain and may make it more difficult for someone who already has high blood pressure to keep it under control.

In other words, something we think of as being "in our heads" can produce very real physical effects.

Have you ever felt "butterflies" before an important event? Felt nauseated while worrying about something? Lost your appetite during a particularly anxious time?

There's a reason.

The brain and digestive system constantly communicate with one another through what researchers often call the gut-brain connection.

For some people, anxiety may be accompanied by nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, changes in appetite or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Stress and anxiety can also aggravate symptoms in people who already have certain digestive disorders.

That doesn't mean persistent stomach problems should simply be dismissed as anxiety. Physical symptoms deserve proper medical evaluation. But sometimes addressing emotional health is an important part of addressing the physical symptoms as well.

Depression isn't simply "feeling sad."

It can affect energy, appetite, concentration, motivation—and sleep.

Some people experiencing depression have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Others sleep far more than they normally would and still wake up feeling exhausted.

Then a cycle can develop.

Poor sleep can worsen mood and make it more difficult to cope with everyday challenges, while depression can make healthy sleep harder to achieve.

Treating one without considering the other can leave an important part of the problem unaddressed.

The connection works both ways.

Imagine being diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, chronic pain or another condition requiring long-term treatment.

Suddenly there may be doctor's appointments, medications, lifestyle changes, financial worries and uncertainty about the future. Activities that were once easy may become difficult.

That's a lot for anyone to carry.

People living with chronic medical conditions can also experience depression and anxiety. Emotional health can then affect motivation, sleep, eating habits and the ability to follow a treatment plan.

Someone struggling emotionally may have a harder time managing medications, attending appointments or making lifestyle changes—not because they don't care about their health, but because mental health can influence virtually every part of daily life.

This is where integrated care comes in.

Instead of treating behavioral health, primary care and other medical needs as completely separate services, an integrated model allows providers to consider how those needs may interact.

A patient being treated for a chronic medical condition, for example, may also need help managing anxiety or depression. Someone receiving treatment for a substance use disorder may have underlying trauma, depression or anxiety that also deserves attention.

When providers can coordinate care, they have a more complete picture of the person they're treating.

The goal isn't simply to treat a diagnosis.

It's to treat the person who has the diagnosis.

Integrated care is particularly important in rural areas, where patients may have fewer healthcare providers nearby and may otherwise have to travel significant distances for specialized services.

Telehealth has helped change that equation.

Behavioral health appointments that once required a lengthy drive may now be available through secure video or telephone visits from home. That can make ongoing counseling, psychiatric care and medication management more practical for people balancing work, transportation, family responsibilities or chronic medical conditions.

For Eastern Kentucky, where access to healthcare has long presented challenges in some communities, that can make a meaningful difference.

Perhaps the most important message is also the simplest:

Mental health is part of health.

Taking anxiety, depression, grief, stress or other emotional concerns seriously doesn't mean ignoring physical symptoms. And treating a physical condition doesn't mean emotional health should be ignored.

The two are connected because they are happening to the same person.

Modern healthcare is increasingly recognizing something that sounds remarkably simple when stated plainly: we function better when the whole person receives care.

Fresh Start Health provides an integrated approach to healthcare, offering primary care, behavioral and mental health services, addiction treatment and other healthcare services to patients in Kentucky.

Behavioral health services include counseling and therapy, psychiatric care and medication management when appropriate. Telehealth allows patients throughout Kentucky to access many behavioral health services from home.

Fresh Start Health has clinic locations in Morehead, Ashland, Grayson and Vanceburg and accepts Kentucky Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (606) 225-8200 or visit freshstarthealth.com.

This sponsored feature is presented as part of The Morehead Minute's Community Health Spotlight. Information in this article is educational and is not intended to replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.