31 Days of EDS/HSD: Day 16- Mental Health in Hypermobile Life

I am taking part in #MyEDSChallenge and #MyHSDChallenge with the Ehlers Danlos Society. Since May is EDS awareness month, every day I will be sharing something about myself and my EDS journey to drive further awareness and community.

Day 16- Mental Health

Today is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Chronic illness and emotional and mental health concerns can often occur together, and, can have a negative impact on each other. They need equal consideration to avoid either being misunderstood or undertreated — and EDS and HSD are no different.

EDS and HDS can force a person to focus on their body. But their emotional and mental health is just as important as their physical health. It is important to understand the connection.

The stress of dealing with any chronic illness creates understandable pressures. Having serious physical symptoms remain unexplained or dismissed as “in your head” can trigger a number of emotions and a low mood. It can cause disappointment, frustration, or anger for example. Constantly coping with pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, and not having answers or treatment can cause distress, depression, and anxiety.

So many in our community still face these issues daily, and it delays and impacts treatment. We see today as a vital day of awareness: for health professionals and society to understand the challenges of EDS and HSD, associated comorbidities, and the impact this can have on physical and mental health, self-awareness, and validation.

If you or a person you know with EDS or HSD is struggling with either their physical symptoms, or mental health concerns it is essential that these are heard, understood, and helped.

You’re not alone. It’s good to talk. Let’s break the stigma and talk about mental health today.