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RA affects your physical health, but also your mental and emotional health. In one of my new articles for HealthCentral, I took a look at the mental health resources that can help you heal and move forward:

“Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not easy. Adapting to the repeated changes and losses that can accompany RA and learning emotional coping skills takes time. But you don’t have to do it on your own. Getting help from a mental health professional at any point during your journey with RA can make it easier.

RA and mental health

Being diagnosed with RA often triggers a grieving process as you mourn the healthy you and work toward acceptance of your situation. Depression is part of that process and can be exacerbated by a variety of factors, including how active your disease is. In fact, up to 42 percent of people with RA experience depressive disorder, which in turn can have a negative impact on your physical health. In addition, in people with RA who are depressed, a full 30 percent report thinking about suicide. Anxiety and depression are often connected, and both tend to reduce as your RA becomes better controlled.

That said, it’s quite common for people with RA to experience episodic depression and anxiety, especially related to their condition getting worse and experiencing high pain levels.”

Read more about mental health resources for people with RA on HealthCentral.