Individuals with a physical illness or disease, especially debilitating diseases, often experience difficulties maintaining their mental health. With serious chronic illnesses, emotions can run a gamut; making the person quite vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and other mental diagnosis.
Meeting the psycho-social needs is vital to the ongoing recovery of the individual with physical infirmities.
Often, being concerned about people’s emotions when they have a debilitating illness or disease is paramount in their recovery. No matter what the illness or disease, there is one organ of the body that is common in every situation; the brain. No matter what, in every interaction the person has, the psychology is always there.
We have all experienced the distresses of short term illnesses, such as the cold or flu, but the effects of having a long-term illness or disease requiring long term treatment is most stressful. Dialysis, chemotherapy, and the management of Diabetes; as examples, are most often met with psychological distress of major, and often unimaginable proportion by many others not experiencing the illness or disease.
When one is involved in physical exercise, the brain also benefits greatly. Neurochemicals within the brain are excited and transmitted when there is physical activity, such as the neurochemicals endorphins; and bringing into balance our serotonin and a host of other neurochemicals; all involved in maintaining our homeostasis, our mental balance.
The activity of the neurchemicals is what gives us our feelings, and most especially the good feelings we have after healthy physical activity. We whom have been dealing with debilitating diseases such as Cancer for a long time know what the mind-body connection is all about. The endless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery’s, trials, medications…all leave our bodies quite debilitated, and our minds as well.
That is why we find it most satisfactory to be referred to physical therapy. I want to tell you about the organization I have been referred to on more than one occasion: the Total Rehabilitation Center in Harlingen.
The Total Rehabilitation Center of Harlingen is but one of two such sites, the other being in Brownsville. Begun in Brownsville in 1998 by owners Marc and Lori Saldana, their services began operation in Harlingen in 2004. In their mission statement, is included their intent: “We make every effort to provide the best service by using new medicals advances and techniques to improve patient rehabilitation and promote rapid recovery. Our success can be attributed to providing the best physical therapy services, excellent customer service and focused individualized patient care.”
And I can attest to the fact that it is exactly what they are doing…improving the body-mind connection of many.
To use myself as example, I was referred to Total Rehabilitation for the second time within two years by my long-time primary Physician Dr. Shridhar Kotta; whom readily recognized that my debilitating condition was worsening; my degenerative vertebrae and muscles losing strength, and my balance disorder was very bothersome, and I was increasing in my falls.
Evaluated by Wendy Gutierrez, PT, on this occasion; I was given an evaluation and development of my treatment plan. Then, as before, I was assigned Michelle Gomez as my primary technician; a most professional, punctilious, and empathetic person whom began to put me through my exercises.
I was further evaluated by Mario Lopez, PTA, as I went along. Korie Williams and Chrissy Cisneros, DPT, were always there to greet me with a smile; as well as all of the other staff that are just too numerous to mention in this article. Continuing with my therapy to this date, I can fully appreciated the Body-Mind condition…keeping those neurochemicals firing in my brain, treating my physical health as well as my mental Health.
I am so very much appreciative of the folks at the Total Rehabilitation Center in Harlingen.
Also I may mention the wonderful clinicians at the Harlingen VA Out-Patient Clinic here in Harlingen, whom I have been connected with since 1990 that have always provided me most excellent care. My current VA Primary Physician, Dr. Z. Capllonch, a most excellent physician, in recognizing my need to improve my quality of life and my independence, has not only kept my medication prescriptions and medical supplies up to date, but has proven to be most empathetic and concerned.
Being on the State of Texas Governor’s Council on Independent Living, and serving as an officer on the Council, I recognize the need for assisting so many to live independent lives, and to afforded quality care in doing so. Perhaps it was pride or faulty assumptions on my part to put off the added care I needed for my mobility, as I have always been in service to others, but I finally recognized the true meaning of “disability” which I have been so entitled for many years…just never thought it would come to the point that it has.
Dr. Capllonch added in convincing me that I needed further help with my mobility; to improve my quality of life…my body-mind connection…to change the “disability” into “ability.” She is most certainly concerned about the mind-body condition of her patients.
Individuals with debilitating diseases often have the feeling that the rest of the world looks healthy and are doing just fine, often feeling isolated and alone by themselves just struggling to keep their mental balance. But rest assured that there are those out there whom really care.
I believe that a partnership should exist between the physician and his/her patient; with a whole team: the patient, the physician, psychologists and counselors, physical therapists, social worker, nurses, nutritionists, family members, and whomever else is needed to provide the needed Wholistic care for the patient; and all with the aim of improving the quality of life for the patient.
Pain for the individual with chronic illness is not just physical…we must be very concerned for their psychological pain as well…their mental health. Until next time, Stay Healthy my Friends!
