Behavioral Health Care

How Does Mental Health Affect Physical Health?

Experts have found direct connections between a person's mental and physical health, which likely doesn’t come as a surprise. But let’s break down some specific ways that mental health can impact your physical well-being.

Digestive Health

Think about how you get "butterflies" in your stomach before a big event—this is just one example of how your mental state affects your body. Now, imagine feeling those pre-event jitters constantly, without a clear cause. Ongoing stress and anxiety can disrupt your digestive system, leading to chronic discomfort or conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Sleep and Energy

Stress, anxiety, and depression can negatively affect your sleep patterns. Anxiety and stress often leave your mind racing, preventing your body from entering a restful state, even when it needs to. Depression, on the other hand, can cause exhaustion during the day due to a lack of interest in daily activities or mental exhaustion from overthinking. Both conditions can make it difficult to get restorative sleep at night.

Heart Health

Poor mental health is linked to several cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure, sustained elevated heart rate, and calcium buildup, all of which increase the risk of heart disease. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, which raises your heart rate and blood pressure. Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or PTSD can all lead to these harmful symptoms, putting your heart health at risk.

Mental and Behavioral Health Care at Pinnacle

At Pinnacle, we understand that caring for a person’s health means addressing the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. That's why we offer comprehensive behavioral health care, including counseling and therapy. We also recognize how important it is to build a personal connection with a mental health provider. We invite you to get to know our team and schedule an appointment whenever you’re ready.