SPECIAL SECTION: NUTRITION & WELLBEING
THE MIND – BODY connection
How pain affects your mental health – and what to do to mitigate it.
BY DR MICHELA SORENSEN
Pain. It’ s something we can all relate to and, I think we all agree, it makes us feel pretty miserable. When you are in pain, you’ re definitely not your best self. So, how would you feel if you were in pain every single day, with no end in sight? I think we know the answer. For a lot of women, this is their reality. In fact, research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare tells us that an astounding 40 percent of women live with chronic pain. It also tells us that one in three of these women will experience mental illness.
With so many women being affected by both pain and poor mental health, it is clearly something we need to be talking about. While there is no single, simple fix, there are some steps you can take to help address chronic pain – and support your mental health at the same time. >
DR MICHELA SORENSEN
Dr Michela Sorensen is a cancer survivor, ambassador for the Jodi Lee Foundation and GP specialising in women’ s, mental and rural health.
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