Loving Yourself

Caring for your Emotional Well-Being

Your emotional health can make all the difference between a negative outlook on life and a positive one. How you feel about yourself can deeply affect every facet of your life, including your relationships, work performance, and family life. Do you feel that your emotional well-being might not be healthy? Here are a few signs to look for:

• Personality changes: You may notice sudden or gradual changes in your behavior, some of which may not reflect your personal values.
• Sudden mood changes: Watch for difficulties in controlling your temper, or an inability to calm down when you’re frustrated.
• Isolate yourself: You may find yourself pulling away from family and friends, and ceasing to take part in activities you used to enjoy.
• Neglecting yourself: Your personal hygiene may deteriorate, or you may start abusing alcohol, using drugs or engaging in other self-destructive behaviors.
• Seeming hopeless: You may have a hard time finding anything to be hopeful about. This may be accompanied by feelings of worthlessness or suicidal thoughts.

Emotional wellness and your overall health

Disorders of physical and emotional health often go hand in hand. Many people with chronic physical illnesses have a high risk of suffering from anxiety and depression, which can seriously complicate treatment outcomes and diminish quality of life. Your emotional well-being can help you better manage the emotional difficulties of chronic disease. In collaboration with your physician and other specialists, patients who are well informed on these topics can participate in the development of strategies to cope with these challenges and find satisfaction in life despite the physical limitations.

Our Loving Yourself program is designed to help you develop the knowledge and skills to integrate your physical health with your emotional health. This educational experience seeks to eliminate stigmas about emotional health, and highlight the impact that it has on our overall health.

Ask your Sunset Health provider how you can take part in this vital program.