Depression doesn't cause fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, but it does make them harder to deal with. It can heighten symptoms and thwart your efforts to take better care of yourself.
It's normal to be depressed when you have a chronic illness, especially when it's a life-changing one that can rob you of your relationships, future plans and financial stability. However, just because it's normal doesn't mean you should just live with it.
The first step is finding out whether you are depressed. Then, you need to understand the underlying causes and decide which types of treatment to try. To help you with each step of that process, I've put together this article:
It contains links to articles from About.com Depression Guide Nancy Schimelpfening as well as information specific to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
For more on how depression can hamper your treatment efforts, see:
Are you wondering if you're depressed? Have you struggled with depression? What has helped you? Leave your comments below!
Learn more or join the conversation!
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how sad is it that there are no comments from any of us telling of treatments that have helped us with our depression??
Zoloft has helped me. I’ve tried to stop taking it & my daughters suggest I get back on it because I’m not fun to be around. I also take Wellbutrin 150SR. which was prescribed to me by my GYN. He said it would help restore my libido, & it did. The libido became a problem when I took Lyrica, a side effect that never seems to be mentioned. The most important thing that helps is to accept the changes that FMS creates in your life. Its hard not to look back at the things you use to enjoy, you must find new enjoyment. Its not your fault that you have FMS.
Exercising to my favorite music helps me. Laying in the sun by the pool…water aerobics and dancing, dancing with reckless abandon…..
I suppose there are few comments because, to begin with, people are tired of refuting the still-existing (but diminishing) idea that fibromyalgia is an offset of depression, rather than the reality that depression comes from the chronic discomfort of FMS. When you are aching, off balance, besieged by brain fog, tired as though you are being poisoned, yes, you can be racked by hopelessness, a sense of worthlessness, guilt, anxiety–all the symptoms of depression.
The best way of trying to treat depression for me is trying to diminish the FMS symptoms. If drugs or therapy help you, fine, but one needs to understand the cause-effect relationship. By the way, Welbutrin, which was prescribed in an earlier stage of my illness (when fatigue was more prevalent than tender points), was the most awful drug I have ever taken; it was as though everything (including the hell of FMS) was amped up 100 times. But I am glad it helped someone.
Depression is a dirty word and maybe no one wants to go public with it . Many physicians feel it is the cause of our symptoms even when we tell them the fibro has caused the depression. Are we to be happy when we have pain , interrupted sleep , fatigue beyond definition and brain fog that dampens daily function ?
So they treat the depression thinking it will help the FM . I have been on them all and the side effects just added to a list of new symptoms. Sweating , dizziness and the weight gain that came with these meds caused further depression. Weight gain that I am not able to take off. Wellbutrin put me in hyper mode as if I had 100 cups of espresso.
Add to all of this are the days when the volume of the FM is turned up and I sit magnetized to the sofa I continue to search the internet for that one post I might have missed that has the answer to cure this syndrome.
I have had FM for 14 years and at it has impacted every part of my life. And that is depressing.
Everyone with long term severe illness gets depressed at some point. Your life is changed, and having some Dr’s still tell you its all in the mind, do something useful, hobbies, voluntary work etc. Being told that when you can not do the basic things in life… is like a slap in the face every day. i have been really depressed, hope that is over now, but to face an uncertain future is life changing, and i am not ashamed of being depressed. What gets me down is that there are thousands of people in the UK with ME/FMS and the NHS/Government still refuse to help us to get well. that is a huge let down to live with, hwever well adjusted you are.
I’ve struggled with depression most of my life. Probably have had fibromyalgia most of my life, too. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I’ve taken most of the antidepression medications on the market. I’m now taking Cymbalta, but it’s no longer helping. Can’t increase the dosage, doctor says I’m already taking the max.
Health insurance plans are beginning to reduce mental health benefits in order to rein in costs. Where does that leave us?