Taking Care of Your Mental Health While Living with Kidney Disease

Many aspects of one’s life can impact their mental health. One important factor is physical health. Living with an illness, such as kidney disease, affects a person’s psychological well-being, not just their physical health. The stress of being on numerous medications, making constant adjustments to your diet, and being on dialysis can get even the most positive person down. Having emotional ups and downs is normal, even for healthy people, but when these feelings become so frequent and serious that a person is unable to cope, it is time to ask for help.

When we talk about mental health, we are talking about more than just emotions, although those are included. We are also talking about our psychological and social well-being. Our mental health affects how we feel, think, and act. It determines how we handle our daily tasks, how we relate to the world around us, and the choices we make.

Throughout our lives, we will experience ups and downs. Our thinking, our mood, and our behavior are affected by what happens to us and around us. How we react, how we process, how we recover, and how we go forward are all aspects of our mental health, yet we neglect this part of a “healthy lifestyle” all too often.

Mental health problems can occur and can affect every aspect of our lives. How do we know when our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are “normal” or when we might have an actual mental health problem?

Some factors that may contribute to a mental health problem are:
. Biology (genes or brain chemistry)
. Life experience (trauma, accidents, chronic illness)
. Family history of mental health problems

What are some of the factors that contribute to mental health issues when living with kidney disease?
Many people (including healthy people) struggle to maintain good mental health. However, if you are dealing with the added stress of a chronic disease, it is even more difficult to maintain a healthy state of mind. A person with kidney disease may feel overwhelmed with all of the changes he/she is experiencing. Recognizing some things that might cause added stress can help the patient cope with their situation a bit better.

Some of the stressors of chronic kidney disease might include:
. Financial burden of treatment
. Job loss or change
. Major changes in diet
. Pain of dialysis
. Time commitment for regular treatments
. Feeling like a burden to family or friends
. Lack of sleep
. Worrying about the impact your illness has on your loved ones

Treatment for kidney disease, as well as the pain caused by the disease itself, impacts the way that a person responds to these and other stressors. As if that isn’t enough, being mentally unwell has an impact on one’s physical health, which can then make the disease worse. It is easy to become trapped in an unhealthy cycle, so it is important to seek help before this happens.

How can I take care of my mental health while living with kidney disease?
It may not be possible to control the stressors in your life while managing a physical illness, but there are ways to improve your mental well-being. One important thing you can do is maintain your physical health as well as possible by following the treatment plan that your doctor has laid out for you. Taking your medications, eating properly, getting good rest, and staying as active as possible are all proven ways to improve one’s mental health.

Another way to maintain mental well-being is to find a support group. Spending time with others who are going through similar struggles and who can empathize with you can be quite meaningful. Being able to express your feelings to others who can relate and understand what you are going through is important. You can also learn from others whose struggles are similar to yours.

Nowadays, it is common for dialysis clinics to employ social workers who can give you individual counseling to help you cope with your illness. Having a trained counselor can be beneficial for both the patient and the patient’s family as well.

If you or someone you love is living with kidney disease and in need of a kidney specialist, contact Sunshine Kidney Care in The Villages today. They are located at 1400 N US Hwy 441, Suite 522. Their phone number is 352.388.5800.