Why Judi Franco Is Talking About the Physical Symptoms Related to Mental Health
If you’ve ever had a headache or a backache and blamed it on stress, then you already know something important: your mind and your body are connected.
What a lot of us don’t realize is just how many physical symptoms can be made worse by what’s going on emotionally. Stress and anxiety don’t always show up as panic attacks. Sometimes they show up as stomach problems, tight muscles, fatigue, trouble sleeping, or aches that seem to come out of nowhere.
I’ve experienced that myself. There have been times in my life when my stomach was giving me all kinds of trouble. I wondered if it was something I was eating or some medical issue that hadn’t been found yet. Then I started working through some of the stress I was carrying in therapy, and something unexpected happened: my stomach started feeling better too.
That doesn’t mean every physical symptom is caused by stress. It’s always important to rule out medical problems. But if your doctor has told you everything looks okay and you’re still not feeling like yourself, don’t underestimate the role your mental health can play.
As Angela Armendariz, LCSW, founder and owner of Aspire Counseling, explains it, the physical symptoms alert you that something is wrong, often before your mind does.
"It's crucial for us to address the underlying anxiety that might be causing these symptoms," she said. "When we start experiencing physical symptoms, it is normal to try and manage them ourselves. But management will just be a band-aid. They will keep happening, and you'll end up needing a LOT of band-aids."
The key is addressing the root cause through therapy and other mental health treatment. Finding the right therapist can be intimidating, but Aspire Counseling makes taking that first step easy. They’re a New Jersey practice, and everyone I’ve referred has told me they felt understood from the very beginning.
It’s all online, so there’s no commute, no waiting room, and no extra stress. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your body is take care of your mind. I know that lesson changed things for me. If you're curious about whether therapy can help you, learn more about their approach and get started today with Aspire Counseling!
