Mental Health and Dialysis: This Matters More Than People Think

My name is Andrés Falco and I have beeen 9 years in dialysis.

I realized that when people think about dialysis, they usually think about the physical side of it:

• kidneys

• blood tests

• fluid restriction

• treatment schedules

• hospitals

• medications

  
  

What many people do not think about enough is mental health.

And from my experience, that part can shape everything.

Because if dialysis affects the body it also affects the mind.

It affects how you think, how you feel, how you approach each week, and how much energy you have to keep showing up.

That is why mental health and dialysis matter far more than most people realize, and not everybody talks correctly about it.

Dialysis Is Not Only a Medical Treatment

For many patients like me, dialysis became part of life multiple times each week.

That means it can influence your world:

• mood

• motivation

• confidence

• stress levels

• relationships

• sleep

• sense of independence

  
  

Some patients feel overwhelmed at first.

Some feel angry.

Some feel anxious before each session.

Some simply feel tired of needing treatment.

All of these reactions can be normal.

What matters is understanding that emotional health deserves your attention and responsability.

From My Experience, Environment Changes Everything

This is something I learned personally.

Part of the suffering was not only dialysis itself.

It was how I experienced it, I mean, my own interpretation of it, where I experienced it, and that emotional state I brought into it.

When a center feels rushed, chaotic, tense, noisy, or impersonal, patients absorb that atmosphere.

When a center feels calm, organized, respectful, and human, the body and mind often respond differently.

That difference matters more than what you think.

Why Teams Matter So Much

Mental health is not only internal.

It is relational.

The way patients are spoken to, greeted, informed, and treated over time has an impact.

Professionals who maintain their vocation and humanity over the years create something powerful:

trust

And trust lowers fear. Trust calms us down.

That is one reason why the quality of a care team matters so deeply in dialysis.

A Different Patient Experience

Over the last 4 years, I have visited many clinics and seen very different models of care.

Some centers focus only on getting treatments completed. In my center, people were not allowed to talk too much with us, the patients.

Others understand that patients are human beings living a demanding routine.

In my experience, KidneySPA represents the most modern and human-centered approach I´ve ever met.

Not because they make dialysis becoming easier.

But because the environment, attention to detail, and patient experience can make the journey more sustainable.

That matters for both physical and mental health.

No jokes, I´ve been for hours sitting in the waiting room talking to patients waiting to begin their session and they all say the same thing: "I really feel cared here".

You Can Live Well — With Adaptation

One of the most important messages I try to share is this:

It is POSSIBLE to live WELL with kidney disease.

Not perfectly.

Not without effort.

Not without difficult days.

But well.

Mental health and dialysis should never be separated. The same person is getting treated.

Because the mind influences how the body lives every treatment.

And when patients are supported emotionally, and cared for in the right environment, life can feel very different.

Sometimes much better than what you ever could imagine.

Written by Andrés Falco

CKD patient, transplanted athlete, and renal health educator