The mind-body connect

Our chemistry and biology impact our mood and emotions, as well as thoughts and beliefs play a major role in influencing our stress and overall health

A healthy mind in a healthy body is a saying that most of us have heard while growing up. We all know that the mind and body are not split into two separate entities. How many of us have said that ‘there is so much work and I am having a bad headache’ or ‘I am having a horrible toothache and am not interested in going out for a movie’? Pain in the mind and pain in the body are experienced together.

Clinicians are increasingly aware of how human behaviour and experiences are linked in a complex way. Life events like job loss, failures as well as repeated exposure to hassles like being stuck in traffic can affect our health. Chronic stress can have long-lasting effects on the mind and body. We have realised that many chronic illnesses and conditions like diabetes and hypertension have lifestyle-related factors. Childhood and adolescence are when we form some of these habits that we then carry on into adulthood.

Hence World Health Organisation said a few years ago: ‘No health without mental health’. We now understand that mental attitudes and perspectives of individuals go a long way in them maintaining their health and getting back to health. Let’s look at a few scenarios below:

Aayush a 12-year-old boy left his exam halfway and came back home. He
complained of severe stomach aches while writing exams. Aayush’s parents report that he is quite worried about exams, ignores eating at regular intervals and spends long hours studying. Parents have also seen him biting nails which becomes more frequent around exam time. Aayush was taken to his pediatrician who started treating him for acute gastritis. His parents report that his pain became better in a couple of days. Is the pain all that needs to be sorted for Aayush?

Savitha a 15-year-old girl experiences severe mood changes around the time of her menstrual cycles. She has been complaining of severe cramps and pains and irritability. She misses school due to pain. A gynaecologist has diagnosed her with PCOS. Savitha is concerned about her recent weight gain. She Googles about diet and healthy eating, follows Instagram handles about intermittent fasting, juice cleanses, paleo diet and often tries out different diets. Her parents are concerned about her erratic eating habits. She and her parents often get into arguments and fight about her diet.

John is an 8-year-old shy boy who is currently in school. He had to switch schools as his parents got transferred to this new city. John initially went to school without much of a problem. He and his mother got into a small accident on the way to school one month back. John suffered a fracture of his right arm and the friendly orthopaedic surgeon gave him a nice-looking plaster cast. His mother and he took off for two weeks from school and work to take rest. Since that break, John refuses to go to school. He is reluctant to get out of bed, brush and get ready. He complains of pain in the hand, stomach pain or headache every day. He becomes tearful when he sees his uniform and books and clings to his mother. Parents have tried cajoling John to go to school with promises of gifts, and trips to no avail. They have scolded him and tried to take him to school forcibly. Last week John was taken to school by his father, and he ran back home in two hours’ time. His parents are worried about John’s behaviour.

Children and adolescents often express their psychological distress in physical ways. Feeling tired, stomach aches and headaches can be ways to communicate the distress and anxiety that they experience. Parents and children having these concerns can benefit from discussing these concerns with a mental health expert. Mental health professionals can help parents and children understand to make these important links between their minds and body and suggest ways to change their behaviour and habits. Building healthy habits at an early age and learning ways to handle stress better can help children and adolescents overcome adversities. These can be important stepping stones to having a healthy lifestyle. Parents can also benefit by learning strategies to help address their child’s mental health needs.

(The author is a Mangaluru-based child & adolescent psychiatrist.)