Physical and mental health

Carers often tell us that they neglect their own health and prioritise the needs of the person with dementia. They often experience high levels of stress. Looking after your physical and your mental health is important for your overall well-being.

Some people experience physical symptoms that do not have a physical cause. Research suggests that medically unexplained symptoms are often linked to mental health. Examples of medically unexplained symptoms might include:

• pain
• fatigue
• heart palpitations
• tingling in hands or feet

It’s important that you look after yourself and keep your medical appointments. If you experience new physical symptoms you should go and see your GP.  If no physical cause of the symptoms is identified then there are several options you might wish to talk through with your GP. These include:

• Whether you have anxiety or depression or are experiencing high levels of stress
• Possible referral to a neurologist if the symptoms are related to the nervous system. Eg. tingling, numbness
• Discussing lifestyle changes such as increasing opportunities for relaxation
• Discussing use of medication such as anti-depressants
• Whether you would benefit from a referral for talking therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as it can help you to understand the links between your symptoms, your thoughts and feelings and your ways of coping.

It’s important to think about ways you can manage stress.

Taking regular exercise can also help improve symptoms by keeping you fit and boosting your mood. It does this by:

• Causing chemical changes in your brain that positively impact your mood
• Giving you a sense of achievement

The best way to ensure you carry out regular exercise is to find something you enjoy doing that you can include in your weekly routine, whether it’s dancing, cycling, swimming or Pilates. The NHS has lots of ideas about free exercise activities.

Connecting with other people is also important for good mental wellbeing; it gives us the opportunity to share experiences, give and receive emotional support and laugh which helps to build our sense of self-worth and identity outside of being a carer. This can be as simple as talking to someone instead of sending an email or text or arranging a time to call and have a conversation.

Mindfulness brings awareness to the stream of thoughts and feelings we have and allows us to step back from this stream. Over time it help us notice when thoughts/feelings take over and allows us to gain more control over our emotions and our beliefs.

See https://mindfulnessuk.com/ for information about online mindfulness courses and resources.

Good nutrition is also key in influencing how we feel physically and mentally. Our diet can give us more energy, improve our mood and help us think more clearly.

A Mediterranean style diet with of lots of fresh vegetables, seafood and garlic is thought to help reduce symptoms of depression.

Keeping hydrated is also important and looking after your gut by eating gut healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, live yoghurt and probiotics.