Mental Health

Understanding Correlation Between Physical Symptoms and Mental Health
Diane Gorenstein, LCSW
Psychotherapist

Did you know that 75-90% of all Physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints? Stress is linked to the 6 leading causes of death including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide. (symptoms-of-stress.com 2010)

The mind/body realtionship is no longer a secret. They are never mutually exclusive. Researchers tell us that increased sympathetic nervous system activity (stress) and the constant release of adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress-related hormones produce a myriad of health-related problems.

If most physical complaints brought to doctors have a psychological base, then we must approach the treatment from another angle. Physical symptoms are real – but from where do they come?

Anxiety, worry, stress, palpitations,neck and back pain, fatigue, migraine headaches, and gastro-intestinal issues are most often linked to stress and emotional discord. Just by simply understanding the nature of the causes of these physical symptoms is the road back to mental and physical health.

As a Psychotherapist in practice for the last 25 years, I have now teamed up with a group of Physicians including Cardiologists to do co-lateral/Holistic work. We view the above statistics as staggering and we are on the cutting edge of serving the Patient in all facets of their well-being. Always rule out the physical first! Then it is up to the individual to have the courage to reach out for professional help in the Psychological/Stress related arena. Simply put, when we have a painful cavity we call our dentist. When we are are in emotional turmoil, stressed out, overwhelmed and perhaps suffering physcially we need to feel “OK” to do the same for our Mental Health needs. In fact, it should be viewed as a priority.

Over the years, I have watched people come together in my group therapy who have bonded, felt connected, no longer felt alone or crazy with what they are experiencing and laughter has been as prevalent as tears. This environment creates health. We offer Individual and Group services to the community and are succesfully bringing people back to symptom recovery and overall self-contentment.