Doctor, I’ve been having pains for the past 3 weeks now and it isn’t getting any better, Regina explained as she sat restless by the doctor’s table.
You see, one thing that has kept you in pain is that you’ve stressed yourself beyond what your body can carry and as a sickle cell patient, you ought not to stress yourself that much. Or at most if you think that you have reached the limit that your body system can take, make sure you are getting enough rest, the doctor replied.
That is why I think mental health education is much needed. Not just for your sake, but for the good of all sickle cell warriors.
What is mental health? Mental health is a person’s emotional well-being or the absence of a mental disorder. In most cases, this affects the way sickle cell warriors feel, act, and think. Helping increase mental health helps warriors handle stress and crises.
When a warrior goes through mental health problems, their thoughts, both psychological and behavioral could be affected and this could lead to a more complicated crisis.
Some of the most common signs of poor mental health are depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and bipolar disorder, along with long-term opioid use.
Poor mental health exacerbates cases with sickle cell patients for it can make them not able to cope with the pain.
So it is advisable to avoid stress and also go for regular mental health checkups. But meanwhile, I’ll place you on some antidepressants which would ease off the pains.
Having said all this, I hope this helps you understand a bit more about how mental health impacts your physical health, the doctor stated.
Yes doctor, thanks for the knowledge, Regina responded.
If you are feeling a bit down, take some time to discuss your mental health with a medical professional you trust. You might want to reach out and talk to them about how antidepressants can help with pain management.