Comprehensive care provides a richer, fuller, more detailed understanding of the interplay of what is happening in our minds & bodies. This is vital for those of us who are comorbid. A comorbid condition is when someone has 2 or more health conditions at the same time.

Diagnosing illness is difficult. There are so many variables medical providers consider when they review a patients medical history, listen to firsthand account of symptoms & analyze a patients symptoms during a medical visit. Diagnosis is further complicated by how specialized modern medicine is. This fine-tuned focus does not allow practitioners to take into account the full picture of what is happening in an individual when symptoms or illness begins to arise.

“Comorbidity does not mean the simple addition of two diseases that independently follow their usual trajectories. The simultaneous presence of two or more diseases will worsen the prognosis of all the diseases that are present, lead to an increasing number (and severity) of complications, and make the treatment of all of them more difficult and, possibly, less efficacious.” Comorbidity of mental and physical diseases: a main challenge for medicine of the 21st century | National Institute of Health.

Practices that provide more comprehensive care, with medical providers from various specialties, is what benefited me the most given my overlap of comorbid conditions. The medical team I met with in August at Mayo Clinic provided well-rounded, comprehensive care. I started to heal shortly after my time there; after 2 years of actively seeking the best, most specialized orthopedic care in Chicago.

When I left for the desert for a rehabilitation center nearly 4 years ago; my body was physically still sound & my mind was broken. I arrived in Tucson, AZ in April 2018 for a month stay to treat my clinically diagnosed mental illness | Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). I returned home less than a month later with 3 additional mental health conditions | Social Anxiety Disorder, Love Addict and AD(H)D.

I returned to the Midwest Memorial Day Weekend of 2018; after my extraordinarily inadequate & extremely expensive insurance cut out early. I spent the holiday weekend + much of that summer with family who live less than 10 minutes from my healing cabin. I returned with a host of new mental health diagnosis & thus began the start of my journey as an individual navigating comorbid conditions.

Comorbidity is extremely common once diagnosed with one of the numerous mental health conditions outlined in the DSM-IV.

“This is particularly true for mental illnesses which are frequently comorbid with physical illnesses. Non-psychiatric specialists and general practitioners are usually focused on the illness about which they know a great deal and which they wish to treat, often missing or underestimating the importance of mental disorders that might also be present.” Comorbidity of mental and physical diseases: a main challenge for medicine of the 21st century | National Institute of Health.

For some afflicted by mental illness, particularly depression & anxiety; the regular activation of the primary stress hormone, cortisol, creates an overly activate nervous system which can lead to inflammation as well as a host of other physical complications. According to The Washington Post, chronic stress may cause impaired brain functionality, cardiovascular & respiratory health issues, gastrointestinal concerns & a weakened immune system.

Mental wellness & physical health, as well as their demise, are a result of the interplay of the most delicate internal dance between our most vital systems.

Comorbidity is not just common within those of us that are afflicted by mental illness. The comorbid relationship is bidirectional. Ongoing mental duress can spiral into chronic, physical ailments or vice versa. It is quite common for those who become physically compromised, to develop mental anguish.

“They say when the mind suffers the body cries out, and there’s truth based in medical science. Problems with mental health can affect your physical health in adverse ways, and in some cases a chronic health condition can cause mental problems such as depression.” Physical Symptoms of Mental Illnesses | ActiveBeat.

Losing your able-body, even for the short term, strips a person of their former sense of self. This profoundly alters a persons mental state. We often take fully functioning mind & body for granted. When you lose your mental and/or physical health, life changes quickly.

Comorbid conditions are often the result of chronically enraged & inflamed systems. My physical demise began when I started mentally healing. The gut-mind-body connection is so powerful. When you lean in to your body, your mind, your vibration, your energy. When you start to listen. Really listen. That is when the healing begins.

Comorbidity is difficult to diagnose, understand & treat. It is essential to be your own strongest advocate. To understand your symptoms & how they may be interrelated. Do the research. Find the appropriate medical team that listens, sees & hears you.

The ability to tune into your own mind & body is part of the healing process. This cultivates resilience. Grit & Perseverance. Lean into understanding your body. Your roots. Your mind.