BPT
The Importance of Mental Health and Emotional Wellness
M
ental health and
emotional wellness
affect every aspect
of a person’s life, from
work to family to leisure.
One in five adults lives
with mental illness, which
can range from mild
to severe. Many times,
before mental illness is
diagnosed, it can trigger
physical symptoms.
Take, for example,
26-year-old Michael who
suffered a construction
work injury that started
him on a vicious cycle of
pain and feeling helpless.
After being treated for
the pain, he noticed red,
flaky sores on his skin. His
family doctor diagnosed
him with depression-
related psoriasis and
together they worked out
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a treatment plan.
Then there’s Jennifer, a
35-year-old hair stylist,
who showed the textbook
signs of a heart attack:
She couldn’t catch her
breath, was sweating, and
had a rapid heartbeat and
nausea. After multiple
tests in the ER costing
thousands of dollars, she
was diagnosed with acute
anxiety. Her prescription?
See her family doctor and
determine the right course
of treatment for her
situation - both physical
and emotional.
This mind/body
connection is very
real, complicated and
many times, not well
understood. That’s one
reason why it’s important
AUGUST 2018
to have a family doctor
who knows the patient
and their family in
the context of their
community. Family
doctors are on the front
lines of diagnosing and
treating mental health
concerns. In fact, primary
care physicians provide
the majority of U.S.
mental health services.
Mental Health Awareness
Month is the perfect time
for people to consider
the state of their mental
health and that of their
loved ones and friends.
Family doctors from all
over the U.S. and the
American Academy of
Family Physicians are
calling on people to do
just that.