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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by chess on August 18, 2005, at 17:36:10
i get scared sometimes when i feel very anxious or major depressed (or both) because i feel so weak (like anemic) and like i'm dying inside, my doctor checked me out and said i'm actually very healthy physically, and that i'm not in any danger of dying when i feel crappy from anxiety or major depression, he said anxiety and major depression will only make me feel very uncomfortable but they will not hurt me at the moment i'm feeling them
can anyone support what my doctor is saying to me?
i guess i need to know that others who suffer from anxiety and major depression are coping with it knowing that it's not hurting them physically
thanks all!
Posted by med_empowered on August 18, 2005, at 18:08:26
In reply to support please: GAD,MD, and physical health, posted by chess on August 18, 2005, at 17:36:10
when my anxiety/depression are at their worst, I feel sickly too. At the worst, I get these odd hypochondria-fits where part of me is convinced that I have ____ disease/disorder/syndrome; the more rational part of my mind fights it down, but it still lingers on...I guess its just this overall sense of ill-health that permeates mind and body. Anyway, its good that you had a phsyical exam, and its great that nothing bad turned up. Being really depressed and anxious can me you *feel* like you're sick,dying, etc. but its usually not indicative of any serious physical condition. Since you've had your exam and came out OK and (I'm assuming) you're doing some sort of treatment for your problems, maybe you could try to confront your feelings of ill-health head on. Sometimes, what I do is remind myself that physically I'm healthy and that the problem is an emotional one--namely, I'm miserable and anxious. So, I try to modify my thinking by reminding myself that the only "disorder/disease/syndrome" I have is an emotional one that I'm working on controlling, and I remind myself that the feelings of ill-health are just my mind's way of coping with an underlying, poorly defined sense of being somehow "unwell". Since physical illness is so concrete, it makes since that while depressed one would focus on phsycial symptoms; you *know* something is wrong, but you cant quite pinpoint it. As a rule, most cultures treat physical illness as "real" illness and mental issues as things "in your head". Plus, depression can make your life physically (and emotionally) painful. One reason Tricyclics are still used today is that, in addition to helping lift depression, they tend to help reduce pain...its useful for people with headaches and what not, but it also helps people when their depression involves a substantial increase in their pain level.
Posted by Sonya on August 18, 2005, at 19:12:44
In reply to support please: GAD,MD, and physical health, posted by chess on August 18, 2005, at 17:36:10
There's a strong mind/body connection. I think it's unfair to say that if you have a mental illness, that it's "all in your head". When I'm anxious, it affects my entire body - my intestines, my stomach, my heart, my breathing, my reflexes. My whole body feels sick. But I know (since I also got a clean bill of health) that none of it is truly harming me.
I have heard, however, that people with depression can, in the long term, suffer from more physical ailments. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can shed more light on this. That makes a good argument for getting your depression treated.
Take care.
Peace...Sonya
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