In an effort raise awareness about heart disease, which is currently the leading cause of death in the United States, it is important to understand the intrinsic connection between your hearth health and your mental health. While it has long been known that suffering from heart disease can have a negative impact on a patient’s mental health, research is now uncovering that the reverse can be just as true – suffering from certain mental health conditions can put a patient at higher risk for developing heart disease.
What is the Connection Between Mental Health & Heart Health?
“Having mental health issues isn’t just about being unhappy; it’s having biochemical changes that predispose people to have other health issues, including heart problems. So the head-heart connection should be an important consideration in patient care.” – American Heart Association
People suffering from heart disease, are more prone to developing mood disorders. In an effort to boost their mood, heart disease patients may participate in unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits, and also are prone to avoid healthy ones, due to a lack of energy. Similarly, dealing with traumatic events caused by health disease, such as heart attack or stroke, can lead to living with fear, stress, depression, and anxiety, that may develop into long term mental health conditions.
According to the CDC, “Mental health disorders can be short- or long-term and can interfere with a person’s mood, behavior, thinking, and ability to relate to others. Various studies have shown the impact of trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress on the body, including stress on the heart.”
A person’s mental health can significantly impact their heart health, because increased stress levels in the body over time can lead to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and inflammation – all of which are contributors to developing heart disease.
In addition, some mental health conditions can have an impact on physiological processes such as blood clotting and blood vessel function, which in turn can have a negative impact on heart health.
Which Mental Health Disorders Are Connected w/ Heart Disease?
Mental health is essential to our overall well-being and encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social health. It influences our thoughts, feelings, actions, and decision-making processes.
Some of the most common mental health disorders associated with heart disease include the following:
- Mood disorders, such as major depression or bipolar disorder
- Substance use disorders
- Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorders, and phobias.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), after undergoing a traumatic life experience, such as war, natural disaster, or any other serious incident
- Chronic stress
How Can The Effects of Mental and Heart Health Be Lessened?
Taking care of our mental health is crucial as it directly impacts how we navigate through life. Taking steps to address how you are feeling emotionally and physically is important to foster progress.
- Speak with your health care provider. If you are experiencing emotional distress or symptoms of a mental health disorder, they may refer you to a mental health practitioner. At Embrace Psychiatric Wellness Center our team of diversified, bilingual providers will utilize our vast resources to find solutions ranging from medication management, to therapy to advanced treatments, all in a peaceful, comfortable, and inclusive environment.
- Practicing stress management techniques such as mediation, yoga, breathing techniques to manage stress. Making time for self-care can keep your heart healthy.
- Develop healthy lifestyle habits, including not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercising regularly and taking the right supplements can all contribute to promoting cardiovascular health.
Our team at Embrace Psychiatric Wellness Center in Westfield, is proud to offer top-quality holistic supplementation with nutraMetrix products – designed to fuel your body and support your overall health. Clinical trials have shown that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) may help to maintain normal levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, support healthy blood pressure and promote normal platelet activity. Maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, promoting optimal arterial function and supporting healthy homocysteine levels are all important to the overall health of the cardiovascular system. The nutraMetrix Heart Health™ System is comprised of Heart Health™ Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E, Heart Health™ TriActive™ and Heart Health™ Advanced LipiTrim® Ultra, all designed to promote overall cardiovascular health.
At Embrace Psychiatric Wellness Center, our large team of mental health professionals provides a range of services for patients in Westfield and Wall Township. If you require treatment for a mental health disorder, or you are simply looking to improve your overall wellness, we would be happy to consult with you.
- Call 908-923-3483
- Visit: embracepwc.com
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is a content creator and co-founder of Pearl St Services – a creative agency providing marketing, design, and technology solutions for over 20 years.
