At Mental Health America’s annual conference in Washington D.C., the theme was “dueling diagnoses”— the experience of having multiple medical conditions, typically affecting all aspects of health. Many of the speakers at the conference shared what it’s like to live with a physical illness along with mental health issues.
Depression and anxiety are two mental health conditions that often co-occur with physical illness. Being confined to your bed for much of the day, for instance, is a physical restriction that can contribute to feelings of depression. If this is hard to imagine, just think of how you feel when you have a bad cold or flu: when you’re unable to do everything you want to do, because your body is fighting you every step of the way. Don’t you often feel more nervous or upset when you’re this sick? This example is just a microcosm of what it can be like to live with physical problems that affect your mental health.
The mental health issues people develop can vary widely, based on their specific experience of physical illness. For example, someone with lung problems might be prone to anxiety, because their illness requires them to remain alert to anything that could cause their symptoms to worsen. Someone with chronic pain might be prone to developing depression, because pain is likely to impact their enjoyment of daily activities. It’s frustrating to have health problems of any kind, and anxiety and depression are definite elephants in the room: common experiences not talked about enough.
Paul Gionfriddo of Mental Health America, Jesse Milan, Jr. of AIDS United, and Scott Badesch of Autism Society discuss dueling diagnoses
The U.S. healthcare system is skewed on issues of mental health. Mental illness has only recently become recognized as a legitimate health condition, and most therapists and psychiatrists are still not even covered by insurance. The simple fact is, although mental illness affects so many people, it is still not given the same attention as physical illness by our healthcare system and by society as a whole. Mental illness can be chronic, or it can show up “situationally,” triggered by changes in life circumstances or medical issues. It is difficult enough to manage a physical condition, but when you are not able to access proper care through our healthcare system, due to a co-occurring illnesses, then it is a truly serious problem.
So what is the solution? It is impossible to say for sure, but raising awareness definitely helps. Many people may not realize just how intertwined physical and mental health conditions are. If the relationship between the two was more widely understood, there would be better treatment options. If therapists and health care providers could work together to help those who are managing “dueling diagnoses,” then it would be much easier for a patient to navigate an overwhelming system.
A huge lesson I learned at Mental Health America is the value of holistic medical care, that acknowledges the mind/body connection. We should recognize that we are all affected by the relationship between mental and physical illness, and start working to build a more inclusive healthcare system that can care for those with intertwined conditions.
