The relationship between one’s mental health and incontinence is a complex subject. People experience incontinence to different degrees with varying symptoms depending on the type, and because there’s such a stigma associated with incontinence several mental health issues tend to arise. To understand why there’s a deep-seated connection between mental health issues and incontinence, its important we look at how society views these kinds of health problems.
First off, there’s a sense of shame and embarrassment that come from various incontinence symptoms. It is not openly spoken of often enough, leaving the person affected feeling like they need to hide it from the people in their lives. This on its own can severely impact one’s mental health negatively by making the person feel ashamed, alone, and like they can’t be honest with themselves. This can lead to isolation. Being open and honest with at least one trusted person can help alleviate the feeling of being lost and can help solidify that not everyone will judge you based on your truths. There are bound to be forms of judgement, especially considering we haven’t fully broken the stigma of urinary and fecal incontinence, but understanding that the people who love you can help you, and chip away at the walls you’ve put up to protect yourself.
Dealing with uncontrollable urine or fecal loss can leave you feeling like you have no control over your body on top of mental health issues developed over time. It’s estimated that 28% of people diagnosed with urinary incontinence also experience depression, which goes to show that these issues go hand in hand. There are also studies showing the significant impact on one’s mental health while dealing with incontinence, comparable to people suffering from degenerative disorders and even cancer. The hardest part about dealing with incontinence and depression at the same time is that there’s unfortunately a stigma attached to both issues. It can feel debilitating to not only lose control over bodily functions, but it can also make you feel like you aren’t meant to live your best life and that this is something that fate had in store for you. In reality, it is our mind playing tricks, making us feel like we deserve something that nobody should suffer through.
Mental health has been pushed to the forefront within the last few years with a focus on wellbeing and self-acceptance, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any easier to talk about even today. Many people still struggle coming to terms with their mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, and more. When these issues are being dealt with on top of incontinence symptoms, it can feel impossible to get any relief. One of the ways in which you can come to terms with mental health issues developed by incontinence is to talk to a licensed therapist that will provide you with coping skills, reach out to a support group for people dealing with similar issues and contact customer support specialists at ActivKare who have assisted people dealing with incontinence for years. These methods can help you talk through the complicated thoughts and fears associated with both incontinence symptoms and poor mental health that derives from your symptoms.
These feelings and thoughts are perfectly normal, and people experience the negative side effects of these symptoms every day, the issue is that nobody wants to talk about them. Once we start offering support for each other we can build a community of people who are stronger and healthier both physically and mentally. It’s hard to ask for help when you’re struggling, but at the end of the day it’s better to ask for help than to suffer in silence. Take back control of your life and start doing the things you love again with a little help. At ActivKare, we offer solutions for both men and women dealing with incontinence symptoms. We also consider ourselves experts on the subject seeing as our CEO Karen has dealt with years of urinary incontinence and has experienced the mental side effects firsthand. Visit our website or call us today and we’ll do everything we can to help you feel good about your next steps. www.activkare.com