Neuropathy and depression and anxiety
I suffer from neuropathy in my feet and lower legs, and am extremely frustrated as this makes my depression and anxiety worse. Any help is appreciated. Thank You.
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@swartzki, @jager5210, @birdierobin -- I have found my mental state in a not so happy place many times. In some instances it is very difficult to deal with. One of the things that helps me is to try and change what I'm thinking about and turn it into something positive (easier said than done sometimes!). I found a great site by Dr. Amit Sood - The Resilient Option (https://www.resilientoption.com/) that has a lot of different topics, videos and techniques to help you help yourself. I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Sood speak a few years back and he is really good at explaining the way the brain works. Here is one of my favorite short videos:
Love yourself, like your pet does -- https://www.resilientoption.com/blog/194638/love-yourself-like-your-pet-does
More are available on his blog here: https://www.resilientoption.com/blog
Hoping for strengh and peace for all of us...
I have been plagued with digestive issues for over 20 years as well as the other SFN pain symptoms. It is depressing especially when the medical community offers little help. Diet seems to be a factor in my stomach & gut issues. Dr. Steven Gundry (I'm aware of how controversial he is) has pointed out one thing which is true for me and has helped eliminate gut pain. Apparently, foods that have lectins, especially beans not cooked in a proper manner, really cause me stomach and gut pain. Glutin bothers my joints. As for irregularity, I have not found an answer to this.
I relate to your daily thoughts of suicide. Pain avoidance is a natural tendency. I have had daily thoughts of suicide for long bouts at a time and it correlates with my pain and sleep levels. I do not take anti-depressants nor will I. Doctors and psychiatrists will recommend them but I would encourage you to look for other remedies first. I find that daily exercise like a walk in a beautiful setting, to be restorative and a good anti-depressant. I've always been an outdoors person and being in nature is a good anti-depressant for me. As I related previously on this board, my marriage dissolved because I was no longer a good partner. I was making my wife miserable which in turn, added to my burden. I did not want this to happen but I accept this was in our best interests. However, I have a dog who is loyal and a fountain of unconditional love. On my worst days, when caring for him is a bit of a burden, my love for him is such that I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is well taken care of. Taking the focus off of my difficulties even for a few minutes on my worst days is a good thing.
I hope you are retired or do not have to work for this disorder is detrimental to a good night's sleep. For me, a good nap, sometimes several, is what it takes for me to regain a more positive attitude. I wish I had more for you but I don't. Presently, I'm in one of my more quiescent periods relative to pain. It happens and I don't know why or how to influence it other than what I just related. Hopefully, you will find such a path.
Hi, @swartzki I've been struggling with depression, anxiety and PTSD since 2002, before neuropathy pain started. In 2005, I started attempting suicide and in December I checked into a treatment center and began the difficult process of recovery. Suicidal ideation continued to be a problem for several years. Eventually I was able to decrease the compulsive thoughts to the place where I could manage them. I still live with thoughts of dying. Usually they're under the surface of my consciousness, but I still wish to end my life often enough that I have to be proactive about sticking to my safety plan. It would be nice if there were a pill that stopped the thoughts. It would be nice if there were pills for lots of things.
I want to write about some other things but I have to stop now for supper. If I don't send what I've written so far, it's likely that I'll lose it. Depression and neuropathy are both painful.
Jim
Jim, sounds like you have a plan. I thought I could do it alone, but I am really looking forward to talk therapy with a psychiatrist. I was biased about psychiatric help. I prefer a cognitive behavioral method.... but psychologists cannot prescribe or manage pharmaceuticals... drugs! Keep me in your prayers.
I'm back, eating a bowl of ice cream and watching Hoarders.
I don't think it's possible for anyone to say which antidepressant you should take. It's much more likely that you'll try several before finding one that works for you. I went through that process of trial and error until I landed on Wellbutrin. Others didn't have any effect on me, or they had bad side effects. So, don't get discouraged if you have to do the six week trial a few times before discovering the right one.
Having a dual diagnosis is more than adding 1+1. It's more of a process of multiplication rather than addition. Not just the illnesses, but the meds, as well, are a challenge. Drug interactions, side effects and then there's the stigma. Stigma from without and within.
Combining any chronic pain such as pn with the chronic pain of depression is hellish. But then you already know that, don't you.
I have a history of gastric problems, starting with a 40" removal of my small intestine (no detectable reason that it stopped working), then removal of 80% of my large intestine that was hard as concrete and beginning to rupture, then came bleeding ulcers and chronic bowel obstructions requiring hospital stays. I really don't like ng tubes. The last one set off a panic attack. So, I've had stomach issues both before and after pn. I've learned that digestive problems often accompany depression and other mental health illnesses. I don't have any hard evidence of this, but I think that some of my more recent digestive problems have a neuropathy connection.
I hope you can hang on while you search for the right antidepressant. There IS one that will lift your spirits.
Jim
Jim, you hang in there! Jesus will end all your pain & thoughts one day. Wait for Him!!!!
Talk therapy works if you get the best psychiatrist to work with you. My last one was great and I learned how to deal with my very dark moods. I was in private therapy and also in group therapy. Both methods helped me, but I had to figure out how to deal with it on a daily basis. Clinical depression runs in my family on my mother’s side. It seems like is it genetic because so many family members have it. It starts in our teenage years. I have it, my son and granddaughter have it as well as several cousins and my niece and nephew. Several family members committed suicide. When I was in my twenties, I was a regular patient in the emergency room with overdoses. Group therapy is beneficial too. I learned how to change my brain and deal with my clinical depression. When I was hospitalized, I was put on Thorazine. I was in therapy with a psychiatrist for 15 years, so I understand about depression and how it affects your body. Yes, the intestines and stomach feel it too. I have had part of my large intestine removed. My last suicide attempt was 50 years ago, so I did get it under control, but I still get dark moods. I know how to get them out of my brain. I am a positive thinker now and look on the bright side of things. I don’t let myself fall into that pit of doom. It has been a struggle sometimes during those last 50 years, and I have had to help my son with his depression, but we are still here. My granddaughter sees her psychiatrist every week. She has been in therapy since she was 14 years old and has had several suicide attempts. We live with this disease but some of us have died. Okay, I wasn’t going to contribute to this thread because I am in charge of my brain and don’t suffer from this anymore, but I wanted you all to know that I understand how you feel.
John, I checked out the video you mentioned about “You are what your dog thinks you are”. So true. Your dog loves you no matter how you feel. I sent it to my daughter.
You will get through this. Keep thinking about those grandchildren and when you get depressed, close your eyes and think about their cute faces. You can start over even at this stage of your life. Your horse and dog love you whether you have hair or not. Go out and hug your horse. I had to start over too after a divorce and I lost everything. It looked bleak, but I found love again. I thank God for this every day.
Isn't it something? How we are all a story, a book, a novel.