I watch a lot of YouTube in my free time (what is free time though?). In my YouTube subscriptions, Gabbie Hanna and Doctor Mike’s recent video on mental health came up in my feed. The video was about thirty minutes long, unedited, and conversational-styled. Doctor Mike is a primary care doctor and certified surgeon while Gabbie is a mental health awareness advocate and publicly discusses her experience with anxiety and depression online. 

The significance of the video was the connection between the mind and the body that very few understand. Mental health can not only affect emotions, but it can cause physical pain as well. Doctor Mike had described how he has discovered patients with mental illness, who initially came in for physical chronic pain, and completely cured their physical pain through treating their mental health.

How did this happen though? Why does the mind insist on transforming emotional pain into physical pain? Well, have you ever bitten the inside of your cheek when you stub your toe? Or pinched yourself when you get a paper cut? (If not, sorry. I must be a weirdo). Distracting pain is something the mind is good at. When experiencing trauma or emotional distress, it is a survival mechanism your brain utilizes in lessening the pain. Doctor Mike found that when patients begin to talk about their struggles they are facing, they smile. He stops them, asks them why they are smiling, to which they break down in tears.

The brain is split into the unconscious and conscious. The conscious mind is what we think about on a daily basis, while the unconscious is what our mind suppresses. Rather than experience intense emotions, the unconscious translates the symptoms to a physical state to ease the tension. This is a common reason people with severe depression self-harm. Talking about and sifting through the unconscious is a rehabilitation strategy that can cure physical pain that stems from mental distress. Of course Doctor Mike rules out any physical causes of the pain, but it was interesting in hearing his experience as a primary care doctor who takes mental health incredibly seriously when determining the source of the patient’s physical symptoms.

I will link the video below, but there is a point in all of this. The bridge between the mind and the body is crucial. I’ve learned through therapy that being mindful is adopting a sense of awareness. How often do you zone out when you drive? Or let your thoughts control you as you toss and turn all night? Understanding that your body is struggling to keep up with your brain is a sign of mental illness, just as chronic pain is.

I am quite open when discussing my experience with mental health. Why? Because I look up to people like Gabbie

Hanna from that video I mentioned. I look up to those that won’t allow themselves to suffer silently because it’s no less of a sickness than a flu. I hope that one day, or even possibly through this blog, I am able to help someone in their mental health journey, and help them understand that it is not their fault. This theme is prevalent in Gabbie’s newest single, Monster. She assumes that because she has had so many falling outs with relationships, friendships, family, etc… she has to be the one to blame. Her lyrics are incredibly easy to relate to in my own circumstances, and I adore how she uses her platform to confront this self-blame and how unhealthy it is.

If you are struggling with chronic pain and have experiences symptoms of depression, it is never too late to seek help and reach out to your doctor. Depression and sadness are different, but if feelings are persistent it may be relevant to seek medical help. Finding online advocates for mental health makes me feel better too. It reminds me that no matter how high up they are, they did it and I can do it too.

Stay Strong!