Strategies for maintaining your general health: Different ways to help you maintain your overall general health

January 2007     View PDF     View Schedule     En español

Mental health

Each of the issues discussed above (nutrition, exercise, rest and relaxation) can affect your mental health. By noting this, perhaps it’s easier to see how health is more than just healthy bones, teeth and skin. It may also be easier to see how our physical, social, spiritual and mental health are connected.

It’s great to seek guidance from a therapist who is experienced in dealing with HIV issues. General mental health ranges from self esteem to addiction issues, from your emotional health to your relationships with other people. The paths to examining these issues and developing strategies that are right for each person vary.

Addiction
Is addiction a mental or a biological health issue? Some people are genetically predisposed to alcoholism and other addictions, because of the way their bodies process (or don’t process) certain chemicals. Regardless of genetic tendency to alcohol addiction, there’s evidence of chemical changes in the brain that leaves people dependent on alcohol after consuming it for a long period of time. This could be days, months or years.

Addiction comes in many forms. Alcohol and drug addiction are perhaps the most commonly spoken of. People also can be addicted to food, sex, the internet, video games, gambling, nicotine or shopping. The list goes on and on. Whatever the case, anyone with an addiction who speaks candidly about it can tell you how it interferes with their life, relationships and health.

Depending on the addiction there may be medical interventions, twelve-step programs, one-on-one therapy, inpatient programs and harm reduction programs to explore. In many cases, the first step is recognizing that you have an addiction and then seek support, guidance and expert advice on plotting a course of action.

Depression
Studies show that the most common psychiatric diagnosis among people living with HIV is depression. As in the general population, some studies suggest that it’s more common among women. Depression can be caused by chemical imbalances. It can be a side effect of some medicines used to treat HIV and its conditions. Depression can also be caused by HIV infection itself or even changes in the body (like menopause and decreases in testosterone production).

The key to treating depression successfully is identifying its possible causes. Another step is recognizing it in the first place. When someone is depressed, he or she may experience extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite and a general loss of interest and enjoyment in living.

Some of these conditions are interrelated. Extreme fatigue can cause depression. Sleep changes can cause both fatigue and depression. Not eating well can also impact mental and physical health and be associated with fatigue.

Especially when you’re depressed, finding the strength to pay attention to sleep, nutrition and exercise is important to avoiding a cycle of ever-worsening problems. If you have depression, seeking ways to deal with it is critical. For some this might include taking medicine. For others it might simply involve spending time with people they love or doing things they enjoy.

Self-esteem and emotional health
Another common theme that unites many people who are long-term survivors with HIV disease is their philosophy of well-being. Often they believe that what they do today will make a difference for their tomorrows. They have a hopeful approach to the future.

The road each of us must take to believe in ourselves and the value of our voices and choices is unique. For some, a strategy to improve self-esteem and emotional outlook might include seeking a therapist. For others it might include spiritual soul searching. For still others it might include going to the gym to improve body image.

For those who feel like they have a positive outlook and good self-esteem, what are you doing to maintain that? Well-being doesn’t mean that when you feel bad you ignore it or that when you’re angry, depressed or upset that you’re supposed to think positively. It’s about experiencing those feelings, working through them and finding a way to embrace them simply as part of the whole picture.