Mentally healthy in style?
I have had regular checkups for a year since my wedding. It was not because we needed a doctor’s help to get pregnant, no – my husband and I wanted to wait for two more years before having a baby. I got appointments with various doctors because I was dealing with multiple conditions almost every month.
The first time it happened, blurriness seemed to always fill my vision for a few days. As far as I knew, it was 20/20; that’s why I did not wear prescription glasses. The ophthalmologist reiterated the same reading, so she told me to get anti-radiation glasses to protect my eyes while I was working. It did not eliminate the blurriness that fill my eyes until I got a few days off work and rested for a while.
After A Month
A month later, I went to a urologist’s clinic because my bladder would fill and did not feel like it was ever empty. It was like whatever I drank would fill, and I mean fill, my bladder. The doctor ruled out a urinary tract infection, so he wanted to do more tests on me. While waiting, I was ordered to drink more water and fill my bladder.
After that, I dealt with muscle spasms and poor coordination. Things got to the point where I almost fell down the stairs a few times, so my husband took me to a specialist. I agreed, thinking that I would get a fill of muscle relaxants or – if I was lucky – a full-body massage prescription. That’s initially what the doctor wanted to do until I slipped up and mentioned my trips to other specialists in the last few months.
“Just to be sure,” the doctor said, “You should do an MRI scan and have your blood tested. I will call you when I have the results to interpret.”
However, when the test results came out, I was across the country, so the doctor told me that he could wait until I returned to have thorough conversations about it. But I was stubborn – I wanted to know what’s up with my body immediately – so I insisted on getting a fill about it over the phone.
Learning About Multiple Sclerosis
Ever since the doctor said that I had multiple sclerosis, I could not will myself to cry or fill blame to the gods or the world. No, thanks – I never had a fill for the dramatic. Although the diagnosis shocked me, it made me feel relief because it was not cancer or worse. At the same time, I could not wait for two more days to have a fill of my case straight from the doctor, so I went online right after our call.
The first thing I learned was that multiple sclerosis was an autoimmune disorder. The immune system, which we all depend on to keep us safe from foreign substances inside the body, turned against me – that’s what I understood. Why and how it happened, even the experts could still not fill me in.
Research shows that for multiple sclerosis patients like me, whenever the immune system acts up, it attacks the nervous system, especially the nerves that fill and send signals to various body parts. Though these were comparable to the copper wires that fill the insides of electrical cables, the immune system could not always pass through the myelin to envelop the axons. Still, such covering could get hurt and endure scarring, to the extent that the axons would be exposed and could not send electrical signals enough to fill the body. So, essentially, these structures cannot perform their specific roles well. They lose sight of patterns and their identity.
Looking After My Mental State And Health
I looked deep down at my health awareness and asked myself, “Am I still okay?” Fortunately, I felt a sense that I was.
I must admit that I felt a fill of fright after finding out that I was forever stuck with multiple sclerosis. While it did not require me to do chemotherapy or radiation therapy and lose my hair in the process, the disease would always shadow me from that moment. If I could not be careful, my immune system could attack my nerves all the time. This filled me with a little mental state of anxiety.
But it’s a choice, so I chose to focus on that “if” part to ease my anxiety as I looked for potential trigger factors of my disease. For example, if I stay indoors often and not get enough vitamin D, the myelin around my axons may sustain more scarring. If I continue being around my husband when he smokes, my immunity can retaliate. If I remain under the sun for too long or catch a virus, both can increase my temperature and push my immune system to act up.
In a way, this was a form of body positivity for me. Of course, it doesn’t have a fill of the same meaning as what the fashion industry currently touts. This is more than fashion or clothes. This is not about having confidence in my clothing and fashion decisions. Instead, it’s about appreciating what my body can do despite what other people think can happen because of my condition. But I know that fashion can help promote expression of mental health in style and that’s why it’s included in my mental health awareness program.
So, I thought, “Hmm, I need to do the opposite of all that.” I informed my husband about my autoimmune disease, and he vowed to stop smoking at that instant. Although he was not a chain smoker by a long shot, he would not light up another cigarette again – a true testament of love that is enough to fill me with adoration. It is also more than enough to fill my heart with gratitude for my relationship.
Then, instead of spending too much time with social media, we started going on light jogs and hikes before the sun rose. These activities would fill my mood significantly. We would remain outdoors until around 8 A.M. and go to work until 4 P.M. In the evenings, we would take immunity-strengthening vitamins so that neither of us would catch the flu. My husband also surprised me when I came home to brand-new air conditioners that filled the living room and master bedroom with clean, cold air. This way, I had a low chance of feeling too hot at times. We did many things to enhance my well-being, address health issues, and fill my body with strength.
Final Thoughts
My autoimmune disease still catches me off-guard sometimes, but I already know what new signs to watch out for. The doctor also recommended MS therapy for me, which stabilized my mental health further as I knew that my chances of being disabled were low.
Again, I wanted to be positive about my body, not regarding the fashion industry or clothing. Instead, I focused on what I could fill my body with to help it stay strong and healthy.
FAQs
Can mental health affect physical health?
Why is mental health awareness important?
How does a person’s mental and emotional health impact a person’s social health?
How can we achieve and maintain good mental health?
How can you prevent mental health problems?
How do you educate yourself about mental health?
Why is communication important in mental health?
How do you promote positive mental health?
How can you promote mental health in your community?
How can we approach mental health issues from a lifespan perspective to improve mental health outcomes?
How can we improve the way we address mental health issues like depression?
How could poor communication lead to poor mental health?
When would you consider if the person has good or positive mental health?
How has the perception of mental health changed over time?
How do you deal with society’s stigma towards mental health issues?