Mental health is inextricably tied to physical health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, mental health “includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.” 1
Patient advocacy is hard work, and it can take a toll on your mental health. Not only do our patient leaders live every day with chronic and terminal conditions, but they spend their time sharing their stories, doing outreach to communities, and even working with politicians to change laws. This can leave little time for things like self-care, rest, and leisure.
We hope to empower those living with mental health conditions to share their journeys and not be afraid to speak up about their lives. On our Health Union condition-specific communities, we speak about mental health frequently. For example, the Editorial Team over at AnkylosingSpondylitis.net wrote an article entitled “Mental Health, Myths and Facts“. AnkylosingSpondylitis.net is an online community that launched in 2019 and aims at empowering those living with ankylosing spondylitis through daily articles, stories, and forums created by community members.
Click here to read the article.
Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm#
