It's been four months since my twin brother's wife started suffering from mental health issues, and I tell you that her physical health has been terrible. Every physical activity of hers shut down overnight. Despite how much my family has talked to her to pick up her life again, it feels like we are watering a stone instead.
Once a lady full of life and full of positive vibes has become so down and looked almost miserable for months. Therapies and psychologists have been on the case just to see that her general health is restored.
You see, our mental health and our physical health are very important and interconnected. We can't say that one is more important than the other, because when one suffers, the other receives it negatively.And from what I have seen so far, mental health kills silently, because it's not even visible; there's no physical wound to treat, but the person is dying slowly. Bad enough, if no one is sensitive enough to notice it on time and offer help to such a person, it can turn out so disastrous.
Truth be told, we focused most of our attention on our physical health more than the mental health. It's easy to see a lot of people hitting the gym consistently to keep fit, eating healthy, and the like, forgetting to keep the mind healthy. None deserves to be neglected if we must keep things in check, and thus the need to strike a balance.
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Take for instance, all through last month, I was physically stressed so much, moving from one hospital to another, having sleepless nights alongside due to the whole circumstances, and I tell you that at one point, my mental health was affected. I wasn't thinking right anymore; everything around me saddens me badly. I lost joy in certain things that usually give me joy. In fact, I lost strength in between to continue pushing.
I remember telling my family members that my strength was beginning to fail me. But then, the steps I took to recover both my mental and physical health that were draining were, first, to speak to my mind with lots of positive affirmations, reassuring myself that all will be fine. At times, I visit the messages my siblings left for me in our family WhatsApp group, and reading them constantly brings back my wondering mind.
Gradually, I was feeling better mentally. I didn't skip saying silent prayers either, and it did help my mind a lot. On the other side, I engaged in simple physical activities too, especially doing evening strolls, dancing to my favorite music, and recording it. At some point, my mind felt so much lighter, and my whole body looked rejuvenated.
I also remember the time I had a little issue with my marriage; to say that my mental health was affected is an understatement. I couldn't continue my usual daily activities; it felt like my physical bones were crushed. This is proof that both our mental health and physical health work hand in hand, but I pulled through by talking to people that helped my mind with words of healing, eating good food to give me physical strength too, and getting adequate sleep vs. rest. All these were out in place to aid my healing.
Overall, our body and our mind work together, and so equal attention should be given to both for a more balanced well-being.
This is my response to the #Hive Learners community contest on the topic titled, Mental vs. Physical
Image 1 & 3 were taken from canva while image 2 is mine