Depression and Anxiety at an older age

@merpreb No I was just "shooting from the hip" so to speak. That is how it first struck me. In my own experience it seems that pain and depression are deeply connected and I haven't tried to reason which came first or how they are intertwined just that they are. For my own experience I have worked very hard on my depressive episodes with the help of a lot of sources. Knowing that you are actively working on yourself even if it's not as successful as you would like it to be [at the moment] seems to lessen some of the effects of the other one. That has is simply my experience; I can't speak for others.
Ginger

My problem so far has been doctors using the connection of pain and depression. The depression has become worse with the chronic pain. Is all they see is an old and useless senior citizen that had a life prior to chronic pain. It is coming across to me that it is my fault I have both so forget getting any help. Future?? My struggle is just getting through another day and asked when I see a therapist again. I have worked hard in my life and have not always been like this this. I so abhor feeling lesser than and I realize it is my fault I allow the shallow views of others drag me to the pit time and again. Getting to the point where dragging myself back is destructive as well. Always the same reply.
Sorry as currently I have nothing helpful to bring to the table.

@parus- I'm so sorry that you are having such a tough time @parus. I wish I could say or do something to help.

to: @parus - I'm so sorry you are going through such hell. My sister, whom i lost a couple of years ago, suffered from chronic pain the better part of her life. Seeing a Shrink helped a bit but she finally had a nervous breakdown and wound up in hospital mental ward.
She came out and found her strength back - taught piano through a lot of illnesses and bless her courage, when she finally went blind in one eye from cancer, still taught one pupil. Her courage is something I will always remember. The reason I tell you this story is that you must fight back and not give in , either to the doctors who dismiss you with a kind of ageism, or your own private issues of aging and not being the same active, valid , hard working person you were. We all lose our sense of who we were once as we age and it's a challenge to find new things to relate to so we can keep going. Life is all about winning and losing . I hope you can find your own answers to the pain and depression you are living with. Fight back - don't let it defeat you.

@merpreb I just read this article as I search my thoughts I realize that when I'm in pain I don't want to do anything but when I do exercise my pain is to a dull ache or gone ,when I'm depressed over something if I push myself to go to water aerobics class I feel better As I have interaction with others, and you know with fibro the drugs are antidepressant so it is a interesting article glad there will be more research on this topic.

@parus Just come to the table, you don't need to bring anything but yourself. We accept you no matter how poorly you met be feeling that day or the hour. Depression and pain certainly do go hand-in-hand. And it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel as being daylight and not an oncoming train. Perhaps if you try doing something that has brought you pleasure in the past, baking for your neighbors or drawing or writing or having your grandson over for a day. It sounds like his giggles & smiles have always been a positive balm for you. Don't let these so-called professionals get you down! You're so much stronger than that!
Ginger

@gingerw Thanks. The pain has me discouraged thus the depression is worse. Makes sense to me that they go hand in hand. Raises my ire when the doctors think talking to a therapist will make the pain magically disappear. Even the therapist finds it irritating that doctors do thus. There are times it is all I can do to keep my tongue like a letter opener from slicing-I would just be fired for hostile behavior. Being diplomatic gains me nothing either. All I know is the pain is much worse and the CT clearly shows I am not lying.
Thanks for caring and the encouragement.

@merpreb For me the depression first manifested in high school. Mine is caused by a brain chemical imbalance that will require me to be on my medication for the rest of my life. The RA started right after high school. Depression creates it's own pain: physical, mental and emotional. I can see chronic pain that presents initially without depression can lead to serious depression when the pain doesn't respond to treatment. What makes it worse (no matter which came first) is the lack of understanding and support from medical personnel, family and friends. Then when strangers start attacking you or telling you what you should do, like you're just too stupid or lazy to fix yourself you just want to scream or go to sleep. Or scream then go to sleep. I'm sorry if I sound harsh today. This morning I had my second go round for the week with my eye surgeon. It's easy to get tired of trying to find a doctor, etc., who will finally be the right one. Sometimes you have to take a break but knowing that it's only a break. You have to keep going because it could be the next doctor or the next or the next that truly listens and can help. They are also continually making advancements in depression and pain. It wasn't until the 2000's that they started using biologics for rheumatoid arthritis. All we can do until we find the right doctor and the right treatment is to take care of ourselves the best we can, ask for help when we need it and hold on to knowing that at some point in the future there will be significant advances in treating pain and depression. Oh, and keep supporting each other.

I understand. I have many of those things and more

@parus The only Dr who ever treated me right, and listened, and cared was a wonderfully gifted man. He was the medical director for the county medical facility. When he took a sabbatical to head up the hospital team in Liberia at the Ebola crisis, I was thrilled for him and disappointed for me. The succeeding carousel of Dr's didn't hold a candle to him.
Ginger