Depression and MM

Discussion in 'Your Front Porch' started by Artlover, Oct 24, 2013.

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  1. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Hi all,

    Okay, I know I talk about depression and MM a lot but I used to think that all my fatigue came from MM. But I talked to a Doc lately who said that a lot of fatigue comes from depression itself. I always believed that my depression came from my MM (which may be true) but I wonder if it is separate. I think it is a rare person who does not have depression with MM. But my depression became clinical and I had to be hospitalized. I am only saying this because now that I am on AD's, my energy level has gone up. I can remember that when I lost my hearing in a split second 24 years ago, the tinnitus, dizziness and fatigue were instant. And it hasn't changed since. But my depression also became much more severe: hoplessness, lost dreams, loss of lifestyle. So now 25 years later, my AD's have helped me and I have a lot of my energy back. I guess I was wondering how others have dealt with this. Do you have depression too? How is your fatigue level. I guess I just thought my life was over and I am starting not to feel that way anymore but that took many, many years of work. How about you?

    xo Sally
     
  2. CarolineJ.

    CarolineJ. New Member

    That's great news for you Sally xx I hope that you continue to find improvement in your quality of life :)
     
  3. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Thanks, Caroline.
     
  4. Dizzy Little Piggy

    Dizzy Little Piggy OINK OINK

    I can tell you this, Depression is a state of mind. I personally have never gotten depressed over Meniere's. I have had it for 28 years in my right ear and 22 years in my left ear. I know that there is no known cause or cure with Meniere's therefore it would be futile to worry about it or get depressed over it. I have had surgeries 6 times for Meniere's, taken almost every medication that a doctor will prescribe for it, tried the Meniette, had both Gent and Strep injections, and got two Cochlear Implants over the past 5 years. I never get my hopes high and if I get any improvements I am thankful. The C.I.'s were a blessing. I have been very fortunate that all of my family and friends are super supportive of my Meniere's. I come to this and other Meniere's sites to try to help others with my vast level of knowledge I have gained about Meniere's over the years. I am not here for any personal support, nor do I ever vent about my attacks which still occur about 10 times a month. I take Valium as soon as I feel the 1st sign of an attack. I let it dissolve under my tongue so it gets into my system faster. I never question, "Why me?", because I know it is me and there is nothing that I can do to change that. In spite of Meniere's, I love my life!!!!!


    Piggy
     
  5. daBronx

    daBronx New Member

    I can agree with your description about depression.I only see my daughter usually about once a week,although we do talk on the phone about once a day.I get depressed that in all likelihood my daughter will never get married and I will never be a grandfather.I'm 70 now.I tend to take longer naps.I have not looked into getting a Cochlear implant.Maybe that would help,I don't know.I'm single sided deaf in my left ear.I'm profoundly hard of hearing in my left ear.I think I only have about 20% hearing left but it's muffled because of aural fullness.I'll occasionally have lunch at a local seniors center but when others talk I can't hear or understand what they're saying.I'll often ask them to please speak up but that often lasts about 2 seconds,then they all go back to talking in their usual soft speaking comfort zone and I keep asking,"what?what?what did you say?
     
  6. Titus

    Titus New Member

    I'm sorry but clinical depression is a brain chemistry disorder. It is a disease of the brain where neurotransmitters are not doing their thing. You can be genetically predisposed to depression as I was. When I first became depressed, my health was good. Depression can bring with it many physical symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and headaches. It also aggravates all the other symptoms/ailments you have from other conditions. It most often comes along with anxiety, sometimes severe.

    Situational depression is brought on by an event or condition. It is usually mild to moderate. Severe clinical depression can leave one feeling hopeless. When I was at my worst I was nearly catatonic. I had all kinds of physical symptoms and thought I was dying. I spent three weeks in a medical/psychiatric wing of a hospital because I was malnourished and unable to take care of myself. I had one round of shock therapy treatments and was 90% better. I hadn't felt that good in years. Since then I have been taking antidepressants. When the Meniere's hit me I started getting depressed again so I increased my dose and pulled out of what could have been a disaster.

    If you have not experienced severe clinical depression, please do not confuse it with feeling down in the dumps or blue or even the sadness you experience from the loss of someone you love. Believe me, severe clinical depression is horrible. There were days when I didn't have enough energy to eat, shower or even get out of bed.

    Sally, I'm so glad you found relief.
     
  7. Titus

    Titus New Member

    When I gave a presentation on depression at the University of Florida, these were some direct quotes from people I had interviewed:

    “It feels like I have a bad case of the flu and jetlag. My body hurts all over and my head feels like it’s going to explode”.

    “I don’t want to do anything even if it’s pleasurable. I have to push myself to do things I did joyfully before the depression”.

    “I am tired of the useless tears that come and never seem to go. I’m just so tired of the fight I want to give up”.

    “Sleep is the only relief I get from the pain and suffering”.

    “My whole body hurts and my mind keeps racing. I’m tired all the time but I can’t sleep”.

    “I hate myself and the way I feel”.

    “Nobody could possibly understand how awful I feel and how much I want to get better. I’m in a nightmare”.

    “Everything is such an effort. Life is such an effort. I am so hanging on the edge it’s scary”.

    “I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. I have no energy. I have no life. I don’t know how people can stand to be around me”.

    “I can’t concentrate, can’t remember names, can’t write, can’t think straight. My head hurts constantly and I’m angry all the time”.

    “I used to be so positive and enthusiastic. Now all I feel is pain and sadness. I cry a lot”.

    “I’m mad. People irritate me and it feels like everybody is out to get me. I hurt”.

    “I’m stressed, worried, and sad. My body aches all over and I’m tired all the time.”

    “My brain is messed up. Intellectually, I know God loves me, my family loves me, and I should be hopeful, but all I can do is cry”.

    “I had no idea the physical symptoms that came with this disease. It feels like my legs weigh a thousand pounds”.

    “The thought of cleaning the house, preparing a meal, or even taking a shower is more than I can bear”.

    “I had to prepare breakfast for my daughter. When I picked up the cereal box it was empty. I burst into tears because I knew there was just no way I had the energy to scramble an egg”.

    “My hair hurts and my feet feel like lead. I’m too sad to cry”
     
  8. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    I agree with Titus. Depression is a state of the brain, not a state of mind. It is caused by a chemical imbalance, and can't just be wished away. It's easy to confuse situational sadness with depression and consider them to be the same thing, but they are not. I think most of us have experienced life events that have caused us to be sad but time eventually heals those wounds. With depression, it is an entirely different story. One's brain just isn't working the way it is supposed to. It needs help in the form of medication and, of course, therapy, exercise, eating well, sleeping enough hours, changing one's mindset, etc. all help BUT in many cases, without medication none of the above would be possible.

    I believe this is how stigma is created when it comes to mental illness. We think that just by thinking positively, bucking up, getting out there and dealing with it, we will overcome depression. That's erroneous thinking. I think one has to have experienced clinical depression in order to know exactly what it feels like. Fortunately, I have never suffered from it so I have no first hand experience. What I do know is that it is very hurtful for someone who does suffer from it to hear/read that it's a state of mind. That's extremely simplistic and inaccurate.
     
  9. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Thanks, Titus. I loved your post. I am not glad that you have depression too but our stories are so similar and it makes me feel less alone. xo Sally
     
  10. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Thanks, Intrepid for your post too. xo Sally
     
  11. Andrea1962

    Andrea1962 New Member

    I went to the doc after the birth of my third child. She knew that I had post partum depression, but also suspected that I had clinical depression since childhood, primarily due to my hearing loss. She gave me some AD's and it was a life changer. This was before the MM beast was in my life. I don't think that the depression is any worse now due to the MM and I now know how to control and when I need help. It is definitely more of a seasonal affective disorder with me, and hearing loss with the associated isolation a heavy trigger.
     
  12. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Thanks, Andrea.

    Sally
     
  13. cc635

    cc635 New Member

    Sally, how long have you been on the ADs? I am glad they are helping. :)
     
  14. Dizzy Little Piggy

    Dizzy Little Piggy OINK OINK

    I agree that in some people depression is genetic and those people need to be on medication in order to function well. I think the majority of the people who get depressed end up over thinking or over dramatizing things and work themselves into depression. You may call it sadness but it's a form of depression.


    Piggy
     
  15. Titus

    Titus New Member

    There are many reasons why a person's brain chemistry can suffer from imbalance. A genetic predisposition doesn't mean it WILL happen. It means there is more of a likelihood that it can happen. Extreme stress can trigger a chemical imbalance. Not because you are worked up but because your hormones such as cortisol and neurotransmitters like noradrenaline get out of balance. The problem is the longer your brain chemistry is not in balance, the more severe the depression can get and the harder it is to get it back in balance.

    Think of clinical depression like a heart attack. Certain risk factors come into play. High blood pressure, obesity, high triglycerides/LDL, and genetic factors all come into play. Other conditions of the heart can also cause heart attacks.

    The brain is the same thing only a different organ. The brain is not your mind. It is an organ that can have disease. A totally fat-free diet can put your brain chemistry out of balance. If your body is not digesting fat property, due to a pancreatic disorder, this can put your brain chemistry out of balance. Sleep deprivation can put your brain chemistry out of balance. Sometimes, it is easy to correct; sometimes not.

    If you had a heart attack, no doubt you would change your style of living to prevent another. This might mean taking meds, exercising more, cutting out transfats and saturated fats. If you have depression, your doctor would work to find the right mix of things that will help. If your depression was mild, you might just be able to change up one or two things and start feeling better.

    My point is that depression is a brain disorder. It is entirely different than feeling blue or down in the dumps and it must be taken seriously, just as any other medical condition should. When a severely depressed person is told to "get out and do something to get your mind off yourself" it could have disastrous consequences.
     
  16. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    Well said, Titus.

    CC-I have been on AD's for 5 years, I wish I had done it a lot sooner. My life is so much better. :)
     
  17. cc635

    cc635 New Member

    I am so glad they have helped. I started them after diagnosis as it was the first time I had dealt with a chronic issue. I was just 32 then. I have been on and off of them since, but I really seem to enjoy life more with them, so not sure what that means. I think my issues are more anxiety related than depression. I just worry about taking them long-term. I am glad you have found something that works.
     
  18. Artlover

    Artlover it's a crazy world.

    I don't want to ever come off them because they have changed my life. My brain is shot so my brain can't generate any chemicals anymore to keep it going so I have to be on them. I suffered waaaaaay too long. But I know that others struggle one way or the other. I know that my MM will never go away so that means my depression will never go away so I just put it on my bedside table every morning, take it, and then forget about it. It has changed my life. I never knew what it meant to be even until I was on them. Now I don't have to struggle with my brain anymore and the chronic sadness has gone away. I will be forever grateful. :)
     
  19. daBronx

    daBronx New Member

    Being outdoors lifts my depression.I only wish I was in condition to participate in this sport.The scenery is just spectacular.
    http://tinyurl.com/n3rmu2p
     

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