Mental Health Monday Talkback
Lake May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Women’s Health Month. This is a reminder to take care of our overall health and make it a priority. I am now joining Dr. David Silver in the Women’s Behavioral Health Department. UPMC MAGEE-WOMEN, that’s Dr. Silver. Thank you for your cooperation. First of all, thank you very much. So let’s talk about women’s health as a whole. What are the most important health concerns for women? As you know, the most important health concerns are similar to those of men. such as heart disease and cancer. Interestingly, some of the signs and symptoms in women are different than in men. Therefore, it is very important that women come to their primary care appointment, get properly examined and ask questions about their health. As you know, we focus on Doctor She Silver Women. Is it because women tend not to care about their health as much as we should? So, I don’t want to blame this all on women, but I will say that the CDC shows that women still struggle with issues like alcohol use and smoking. Well, they’re still battling obesity and high blood pressure. Yes, and many people don’t get enough physical activity or exercise. Oh, these things are going to cause, ah, more general health problems. Yeah. I always think that women are so busy taking care of their families that they tend to put themselves on the back burner. So I don’t know if that’s happening. But did you know? According to the CDC, there’s this number. Approximately 15% of women over the age of 18 were found to be in poor health. So why does it look like that? I think, and I do, that you’re trying to do something for the very reason that I just went there. As you know, women are responsible for taking care of their families. They probably don’t take care of themselves either. That is why they suffer from various problems such as not getting enough exercise, high blood pressure and obesity. Well, you might turn to things like alcohol or cigarettes to relieve stress. However, these are the things that ultimately contribute to health problems. Understood. As you know, this month is Mental Health Awareness Month. So what are some of the unique mental health conditions we face as women? Yes. This means that our practice routinely addresses the behavioral health of specific women throughout their reproductive lifespan. In general, there are three unique times when women are more likely to experience mood and anxiety issues, and in some cases, cognitive issues. One of them is the premenstrual phase of their reproductive life. Ah, the most common. And what we see day in and day out are mood and anxiety issues that occur during pregnancy and postpartum. Then, as women age and reach the end of their reproductive potential, they enter menopause and their hormones decline. During this transition period, people are susceptible to cognitive deficits as well as mood and anxiety issues. Yeah. So what are the signs and symptoms I mentioned earlier? What are some of the things we should be careful about and pay attention to? Yes. You know, all three of these points triggered my mood and anxiety. As you know, symptoms of depression and anxiety are very common. However, it is often overlooked as just normal. This means they are more isolated, unable to enjoy the things they normally do, and pregnant and postpartum women may not feel connected to their pregnancy or to their child. You may not even feel connected. . Um, uh, because of anxiety. They may, um, have this irritable feeling and be nervous all the time, irritable all the time, um, and very worried about the baby. Or if you’re not pregnant or postpartum and have certain worries or obsessions. We might say, “Hmm, there are a lot of symptoms that are associated with both depression and anxiety, so I should look into that.” Hmm, I think we need to be a lot more sensitive, but unfortunately I think they’ve become the norm over time for a variety of reasons. Yeah. What I think when people say, “Oh, don’t worry so much,” I hope you don’t worry too much, but some people do. So what resources are available to women in need? Yes. So I think we’re lucky in central Pennsylvania that our primary care providers and our obstetricians and gynecologists are kind of, oh yeah, gatekeepers. And I would say they’re really good at understanding these things. So, the most important thing is to make sure you see your doctor regularly, and the second thing is to not be ashamed. You may be worrying too much or feeling sadder than you think. Or there’s something else you think isn’t right. Take him to his primary care doctor. Oh, be careful! Let’s take her to the gynecologist. Note! Well, everyone around us, especially women, please be careful with those we love. In other words, if you think something is wrong, ask them if there is anything wrong. Because with all the stigma around mental health, people often don’t want to come out. absolutely. It’s best to ask for help.Dr. Silva, thank you so much for helping me shed my rig.
Mental Health Monday Talkback
Updated: May 20, 2024 5:06 PM EDT
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
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