Health Psychology: Uncover and Improve Your Mind-Body Connection
Improving the critical connection between physical & mental health calls for so much more than just “self-care.” Here’s your crash course on health psychology.
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Series Overview
Why We Need to Talk about Health Psychology (Foundations & Impacts) 17 Min
Dr. Ramani kicks off the series by breaking down the fundamentals of health psychology: why the relationship between mental and physical health is so strong, how this link affects someone’s day-to-day life and relationships, and the latest research on this crucial connection.
How to Cope with Stress, Depression, Chronic Illness, & Other Ailments 16 Min
Not only do stress, anxiety, and depression have an impact on illnesses like asthma, migraines, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and dermatological issues. Those ailments are also stress-inducing in and of themselves. Dr. Ramani breaks down what you need to know about those connections so that you or someone you love can better manage these conditions.
The Undeniable Link between Risky Behavior & Mental Health 15 Min
The link between those behaviors that put our health at peril (like alcohol use, drug use, unsafe sex, and binge eating) and mental health is undeniable. In this session, Dr. Ramani explains why mental health conditions may put some people more at risk of certain risky health behaviors, and on the flip side, how people use these unhealthy or unsafe behaviors and addictions to medicate and regulate their mental health struggles.
How to Find the Right Integrated Professional Care 9 Min
In this session, Dr. Ramani defines “help-seeking behaviors” and how they can serve as strategies to improve mental and physical health. She also discusses the importance of integrated primary care, and why a mental health practitioner should be a key part of someone’s primary health care team.
How to Make Sure “Self-Care” Actually Works (& When Therapy Is Needed) 13 Min
We hear about self-care all the time. Oftentimes, self-care behaviors are much easier said than done. In this session, Dr. Ramani drills down on each lifestyle change that helps physical and mental health, and how to actually make sure they work and how you can consistently practice them. She also explains how to recognize when therapy should play a part in this regimen.
The Science behind Social Media & Why It Affects Mental Health 12 Min
In our final session, Dr. Ramani walks through why social media is so addictive, especially for children and teenagers. She discusses the latest research on social media’s mental health impacts, and the cognitive effects of using social media every day. She ends the session with ways to temper the negative impacts of social media.
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About the Series
Mental health conditions, by definition, impede someone’s day-to-day functioning. However, more often than not, they can have major consequences on our physical health—and vice versa.
According to clinical psychologist, Dr. Ramani Durvasula, there is no bodily system that is insulated from our psychological health.
There is a relatively new field dedicated to providing real, effective solutions for this deep and undeniable relationship. Health psychology (also known as behavioral psychology) is a discipline in which we look at the reciprocal effects that physical health and mental health have on each other.
It’s an area of psychology that allows us to become much better-informed on some of the most critical issues and health crises of our time. It also provides coping and wellness strategies that go well beyond simple “self-care” tips.
It includes the impact of stress, preventative health, pain management, adherence to medication, and even risky health behaviors like alcohol use, drug use, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle. This series sheds light on the key physical and behavioral impacts of mental health issues that lead to illness, and on the flip side, the health behaviors that may increase the risk of developing a mental health condition.
Dr. Ramani also walks through how to cope with the stress and other mental health impacts of physical, chronic ailments like diabetes, asthma, migraines, and more.
This understanding is an incredibly important tool as we think about healthcare in the 21st century. By integrating physical and mental healthcare, providers can take care of the whole patient—and not just when they’re sick, but in a way that ensures the enhancement of health and wellness at every stage of life.
Who is this series for?
This series is incredibly insightful for those living with a chronic illness. This series will help them understand the potential mental health tie-ins of their condition and how to address them.
This series is for patients, supporters, and healthcare workers who want a well-rounded perspective on the role mental health plays in overall health and wellness—and vice versa.
In this series, you’ll discover:
- Why health psychology is so much more than simple “self-care” tips—and how to drill-down into self-care strategies to make sure they actually work
- Groundbreaking up-to-date research on the connection between mental health and physical health, and how understanding this research can help improve your health outcomes
- The difference between a stressor, stress, and when stress becomes an issue that needs to be addressed—and how it affects physical health (and vice versa)
- A deep-dive on how illnesses like migraines, asthma, diabetes, and more are interlinked with anxiety and depression
- How chronic illnesses are stress-inducing in and of themselves—and how to effectively cope with that stress
How marijuana impacts the cognitive abilities of a teenager
How to find professional help that takes into account both physical health and mental health
“This is one of the most promising fields of psychology out there...our mental and our physical health shouldn’t even be separated. They’re absolutely intertwined. When you take care of your mind, you take care of your body. When you take care of your body, you take care of your mind.”
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Ph.D.
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You can get free access to all 6 segments of this video series when you become a MedCircle Member. You’ll also get access to every video series from the MedCircle doctors.
