physical pain with depression

[d0nnivain]

My depression is coming back with a vengeance. The physical psycho-somatic pains are also returning. My joints ache, I have head aches & stomach aches. It's miserable.

 

 

What can I do about the physical manifestations?

 

 

Last time the doctors put me through a battery of expensive & stressful tests ruling out all sorts of things I don't have: cancer, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, brain tumors etc. I have no interest in being a human pin cushion again with no relief when I know what's wrong. I'm depressed.

[JuneL]

How did you recover last time?

 

You might want to consider massage/reflexology and acupuncture, and of course meditation and controlled breathing. I haven't tried acupunction myself, but I read that it can reduce body pain when done correctly.

[d0nnivain]

I don't know how I recovered last time. It was sort of a fake it 'til you make it thing. I forced myself. I'm trying & failing to force things this time. I develop agoraphobia when I get depressed so getting out is more complicated.

 

 

I switched therapists to a CBT focus but she hasn't been giving me things to do lately. In our last session she said it's about my personal integrity & I have to decide to do things. I was crushed. It felt like that was one more thing I was failing at.

 

 

I suppose a massage would do me good. Thanks for that suggestion.

[JuneL]

I read that taking walks may help, even though one is tempted to be a couch potato when her body is fatigued and in pain.

[Arieswoman]

d0nnavain,

I am sorry you are going through this. x

 

Have you been officially diagnosed with depression?

[d0nnivain]

Have you been officially diagnosed with depression?

 

 

Yes, I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Mixed Anxiety features, agoraphobia and PTSD by 3 different doctors. The PTSD has resolved.

[GemmaUK]

Have you looked into trying a tens machine?

 

You wouldn't be able to use it on your head for headaches but those could be referred pains from tension in your shoulders.

[Arieswoman]

d0nnivain,

 

Yes, I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Mixed Anxiety features, agoraphobia and PTSD by 3 different doctors. The PTSD has resolved.

 

I am sorry to hear that.

 

I think the tens machine could help.

 

Do you know what triggers these episodes?

[d0nnivain]

Do you know what triggers these episodes?

 

 

Yes, I do. Doesn't help me to avoid them yet. That is what I am supposed to be working with my therapist to do -- get myself out of the downward spiral.

[aurelius99]

Here's my recommendation. There's no way to cure depression, mostly since we haven't conclusively figured out why it happens. But what you can do is minimize the effect and duration it has on you.

 

Try doing SIMPLE things, even if you don't feel like it. Just take small steps.

 

1) Even if you don't have an exercise program (which is ideal), just force yourself to get up and take a walk around the block. Physical activity helps to keep the neurotransmitters stable which are responsible for mood.

 

2) Sleep 6-8 hours a day. No more, no less. And try to keep a routine with it. Don't stay up to late. I think being a night owl can make you feel isolated.

 

3) Be sure to spend time with family and friends who you ENJOY the companhof and who SUPPORT you and don't criticize you. Even a "criticism" by a supportive person will seem caring.

 

4) Try to limit time on smartphones and media. This is my own theory but I think staring at screens all day sucks the life out of us. We are supposed to be in sunlight and see green trees, blue sky, and natural colors around us. Even dirt. Have you ever thought that getting DIRTY might be good for us?

 

5) Pray. I think that praying is both natural and supernatural. It's natural because it helps get things off our chest and we're talking to a God who will not reject us. And it's supernatural because the Bible says the Holy Spirit intercedes for us "with groans" that we can't even utter (Romans 8:26-27) In other words, the Holy Spirit sees us in a pitiful state and says, "This poor girl is too sad to even talk or know what she needs. I will petition God for her." Prayer is good. Also read the Bible and meditate on it.

 

6) Disconnect social media. No Facebook, twitter, or instagram. Studies have proven that these things cause us to feel inadequate when we compare ourselves with others and see how great everybody else's life seems. Key word "seems".

 

7) Try to minimize unnatural, processes, and unhealthy foods. You're never going to have a perfect diet. But you can take steps. Every healthy food will help. Remember that the healthiest foods come right from: 1) the ground, as in fruits and vegetables and grains, and 2) animals, as in meats. The more a food has been changed from either of these two sources, the worse it is for you. But again, remember you can't be perfect with this.

 

8) As I've said with most of these, don't expect perfection. Expectations of ideals and how things "should be" can make us miserable and miss the good around us. There is always good and beauty.

[Redhead14]

My depression is coming back with a vengeance. The physical psycho-somatic pains are also returning. My joints ache, I have head aches & stomach aches. It's miserable.

 

 

What can I do about the physical manifestations?

 

 

Last time the doctors put me through a battery of expensive & stressful tests ruling out all sorts of things I don't have: cancer, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, brain tumors etc. I have no interest in being a human pin cushion again with no relief when I know what's wrong. I'm depressed.

 

Have you been tested for Lyme's Disease??? If not, you should do that. Lyme's Disease can cause depression and physical pain throughout the body.

 

But, for the most part, where do you experience pain?

[d0nnivain]

I've been tested for about 7 different strands of Lyme on multiple occasions. I don't have any disease. These pains are psychosomatic. I know that. The pains are in my joints -- wrists, ankles, elbows & there are headaches -- but they do not follow a known disease pattern.

[Redhead14]

I've been tested for about 7 different strands of Lyme on multiple occasions. I don't have any disease. These pains are psychosomatic. I know that. The pains are in my joints -- wrists, ankles, elbows & there are headaches -- but they do not follow a known disease pattern.

 

Pain is pain -- psycho-somatic or otherwise. That being said, have you observed a pattern/cycle in those pain areas or noticed that the pain comes when a certain emotion is triggered?

[JuneL]

I've been tested for about 7 different strands of Lyme on multiple occasions. I don't have any disease. These pains are psychosomatic. I know that. The pains are in my joints -- wrists, ankles, elbows & there are headaches -- but they do not follow a known disease pattern.

 

I also have had a brief bout of body pain and fatigue out of the blue recently. In my case, it was mainly psychological-induced (not depression, but I suspect it was caused by love hormones Go figure...). I was tempted to just be a couch potato, but eventually forced myself to have an active and healthy lifestyle like usual, and got a nice massage. It disappeared after 2-3 days.

 

You mentioned your husband in some of your posts. If I may ask: What role does he play in times like this? Does he take walks with you, or give you a nice back massage?

[d0nnivain]

My husband does not take walks with me & hates giving back massages (which is OK because he's really bad at them). He's not unsympathetic but he doesn't have the skill set to help. He encourages me to keep seeing my therapist, tells me he loves me fills in the gaps that I let slide when I'm not functioning.

[camillalev]

What are you typically passionate about? Do you have a social support system? If you're being honest with yourself what is really important to you, what do you prioritize.

 

There's a lot that can impact depression - I've had a lot of ups and downs and for me a mixture of eating clean, healthy foods(and really educating myself on them), taking exercise classes and learning about fitness through a trainer(not just going to the gym), turning a hobby I love into a paying side-job, going to a therapist and being social with the types of people I'd like to be friends with has helped me. Environment has helped me a lot as well. My old roommate and I didn't get along at all and since moving my general sense of wellbeing has gotten better. But if I wasnt focused on my side job/hobby maybe I'd still be feeling very listless? Don't know. Pushing myself to try new things and face certain fears has helped. I think it helps because it gives me a new perspective on how to see myself. Being conscious of how hard I'm being on myself and how I talk to myself has also helped. Trying not to take everything so seriously.

 

But I think I'm also able to do all of this because I was somehow able to lift myself out of serious, suicidal depression and now am on a 'lighter' level of depression.

 

As for physical manifestations.. maybe getting professional massages and going to a type of physical therapist?

 

I've read that once someone has a major depressive episode they have a 50% likelihood of relapse, and that likelihood goes up with every successive episode they have. So if you 'relapse' it's more about how to manage that depression and being conscious of it.

[todreaminblue]

hey donnivain,i have a new best friend....he is called deep heat and comes in a tube...i am in a depressive episode....and im getting those joint pains..elbows and knees.....knees is because i have ended up praying on them......

 

on the weekend i didnt want to go out at all i ended up going and i also took my grand kids with me.....it was a lovely night..i actually enjoyed myself..caught up with some of my friends from church and a friend i havent seen for a while.... at a bbq farewell......im glad i went.......

 

 

didnt feel all that good inside .....soi wore a pink scarf on the outside i call it my color therapy something to make me feel pretty and feminine....and not just a lump.....a sad sack.....instead..i was a sad sack at heart level.... with a smile and a pink scarf and a butterfly necklace....fake it till you make it....it di dmake a difference me gettign out.....even though i failed at going to church the next morning and i wanted to ...i was glad i went saturday night...i think as empaths its easy to manifest psycho somatic illness.....and i took my deep heat with me.....both my knees and elbows felt like they were in a vise and i tried to help clean up after even though they really hurt....makes me feel useful and that helps too....deep heat is my new best friend.....

 

i feel we just have to ride it out donnivain....as you said, i think in an earlier post.... not to be so harsh on yourself or someone wrote that....we are our biggest critics ...the most vocal..and often brutal when we shouldnt be.....

 

 

just keep plodding donnivain..no matter how slow we go....we go somewhere....dont we?

 

 

i have noticed the tone of your posts have changed over the last couple of weeks...a tiredness in your answers.......a blunter tone...i wondered if you were off.. because i though tto myself ....donnivain is a lil cranky when i was reading them..........my empath ability has been a bit askew in my feeling others...could be my depressive state.........maybe im wrong...but i feel this from you.. frustration...tiredness...and a desire for you to say stuff ya...grow up....:0)..or are you for real.......to some of the posters....i often lose a little compassion when depressed...so it could be its me projecting ...i cant say im on an even keel myself at the moment..i tend to swing ....and when i swing low...its bad........ps dont make any major decisions till you feel better..........hugses.....debxo

[lana-banana]

Oooof. For me, physical symptoms are like a giant klaxon blaring HELLO YOUR DEPRESSION IS OUT OF CONTROL. I have been there and know how awful it is to feel bad both mentally and physically while being completely unable to do anything about it.

 

Here is what I have done in the past:

 

1) Splurge on healthy foods. You know those obscenely expensive salads at hipster salad shops, green juices, and so on? Get them all. You will feel like you're treating yourself like some kind of yoga princess on the Upper West Side and you'll feel relieved that you're being healthy in the process.

 

2) Identify a trigger and soothe it. This sounds weird, but I'm highly tactile: I experience emotional satisfaction when touching and feeling things. (My psychologist pointed this out when she noticed I would stroke the pillows fervently when talking.) So one of the things I do to soothe myself is wear novelty fuzzy socks, all day long if I have to, just to have that sense of comfort. What's your trigger? Sound, taste, smell...?

 

3) Honor your body. Don't force yourself to do more exercise than you can handle, but move around. You can even do simple stretches before bedtime if that's all you can manage. Find a YouTube video of someone chanting about breathing and calmness, and even though you will spend the first thirty minutes wanting to punch her in the face while hating yourself, you will feel more relaxed by the end of it.

[RecentChange]

Really sorry to hear this! My husband goes through similar pains when his depression increases…

 

Like others said, try to get out and move some, a walk, anything to stretch those muscles a bit.

 

Diet – eat well! Avoid lots of carbs, especially sugars. They can really wreak havoc with your body. Make sure you are getting plenty of magnesium in your diet (dark leafy greens are a good source). Also make sure you are feeding your gut, have a good source of pre and pro biotics (new research is showing quite the correlation between gut and mental health).

 

Relax your body –it’s a shame that he isn’t good at massage. Would he take a class? My mother had a litany of physical ailments, and I actually took massage classes to help her (Swedish and trigger point). And now I LOVE it that I can provide healing with my hands. My husband now benefits from that, and so do I. When *I am* stressed, I like to give a massage. Makes me focus on the person’s body, their muscles, their reactions, its active, I get to move, use my strength and focus. For me it’s a win win

 

Any access to hot tubs? There are some nice spas around here where private hot tub rooms can be rented. We visit them when he is really hurting (okay and also when we just want to have some fun)

[JuneL]

Interesting! If you just want to take massage classes as an amateur so that you can do it to someone close or even to yourself, how many hours do you need?

 

Really sorry to hear this! My husband goes through similar pains when his depression increases…

 

Like others said, try to get out and move some, a walk, anything to stretch those muscles a bit.

 

Diet – eat well! Avoid lots of carbs, especially sugars. They can really wreak havoc with your body. Make sure you are getting plenty of magnesium in your diet (dark leafy greens are a good source). Also make sure you are feeding your gut, have a good source of pre and pro biotics (new research is showing quite the correlation between gut and mental health).

 

Relax your body –it’s a shame that he isn’t good at massage. Would he take a class? My mother had a litany of physical ailments, and I actually took massage classes to help her (Swedish and trigger point). And now I LOVE it that I can provide healing with my hands. My husband now benefits from that, and so do I. When *I am* stressed, I like to give a massage. Makes me focus on the person’s body, their muscles, their reactions, its active, I get to move, use my strength and focus. For me it’s a win win

 

Any access to hot tubs? There are some nice spas around here where private hot tub rooms can be rented. We visit them when he is really hurting (okay and also when we just want to have some fun)

[RecentChange]

Hum, you know I don't remember how many hours were involved. Classes were offered through my local Junior college. I took two quarters worth of swedish / general body work.

 

The trigger point massage therapy seminar was over a two day weekend.

 

I will say, I have also taken advance courses in anatomy which I think really helped (I have a solid understanding of the various layers of muscles, connection points etc), and I have received a fair bit of sports massage, so I paid attention to what they were doing, what feels good, what is pain inducing etc.

 

Like when I find a knot - I know getting those suckers out can hurt - and I'll ask if they want me to work it out before I dig in.

 

In the end, it's kinda like good sex. Pay attention to what feels good, replicate that, listen astutely to feed back, the slightest little tensing, or better yet when something allows them to exhale and relax.

 

Don't forget the relaxing power of a good scalp, hand or foot massage.

[JuneL]

Thanks :-)

 

Hum, you know I don't remember how many hours were involved. Classes were offered through my local Junior college. I took two quarters worth of swedish / general body work.

 

The trigger point massage therapy seminar was over a two day weekend.

 

I will say, I have also taken advance courses in anatomy which I think really helped (I have a solid understanding of the various layers of muscles, connection points etc), and I have received a fair bit of sports massage, so I paid attention to what they were doing, what feels good, what is pain inducing etc.

 

Like when I find a knot - I know getting those suckers out can hurt - and I'll ask if they want me to work it out before I dig in.

 

In the end, it's kinda like good sex. Pay attention to what feels good, replicate that, listen astutely to feed back, the slightest little tensing, or better yet when something allows them to exhale and relax.

 

Don't forget the relaxing power of a good scalp, hand or foot massage.

[amaysngrace]

Drinking helps numb pain and improves moods too.

 

I highly recommend it.

[whichwayisup]

My depression is coming back with a vengeance. The physical psycho-somatic pains are also returning. My joints ache, I have head aches & stomach aches. It's miserable.

 

 

What can I do about the physical manifestations?

 

 

Last time the doctors put me through a battery of expensive & stressful tests ruling out all sorts of things I don't have: cancer, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, brain tumors etc. I have no interest in being a human pin cushion again with no relief when I know what's wrong. I'm depressed.

 

Hot baths with magnesium salts.

Yoga. Even 10 minutes will do wonders. Daily brisk walking, ask a friend or a close neighbour to go with you.

 

If you can afford it, do counseling and also get a registered massage therapist to come to your house (in case you don't feel like you could go to them) it might help with your physical pain too.

 

Make yourself watch funny clips/bloopers on you tube. Anything to just lighten things up.

 

 

I'm sorry that you're feeling shi.tty and your depression has hit you again. I feel for what you're going through. PM me anytime.

[whichwayisup]

I don't know how I recovered last time. It was sort of a fake it 'til you make it thing. I forced myself. I'm trying & failing to force things this time. I develop agoraphobia when I get depressed so getting out is more complicated.

 

 

I switched therapists to a CBT focus but she hasn't been giving me things to do lately. In our last session she said it's about my personal integrity & I have to decide to do things. I was crushed. It felt like that was one more thing I was failing at.

 

 

I suppose a massage would do me good. Thanks for that suggestion.

 

Time to dump that therapist and find a new one who is more compassionate and someone who 'gets' you. This therapist is doing more harm than good.