RSD and Talking About Our Depression

byrd45 Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:51 pm

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From: byrd45 (Original Message) Sent: 10/18/2007 2:49 PM
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From: byrd45 (Original Message) Sent: 10/4/2007 9:12 AM
Hi Everyone,
This weeks discussion is going to focus on a very real and prevalent problem for people who have RSD. Depression.....I have done other weekly discussions in the past where we discussed why people with RSD get depressed some information about depression etc. These can be found in past discussions on our other board if you would like to check them out. I personally went through a severe bout of depression twice since getting RSD. Once while taking Neurontin and had to stop taking the medication and the symptoms ceased. Then again recently I had a second serious problem with depression after coming out of the hospital in February of this year(07) until a few months ago. It had gotten so severe I was having suicidal thoughts everyday and would go into bouts of crying or anger without provocation.It is very hard for me to write about this but I think it is important that others know depression and RSD frequenty show up together and it isn't your fault or anything to feel ashamed of as I did. I waited many months in silence and told noone and I would hate to think if I wasn't as strong willed as I am what could have happened.Suicidal thoughts can be overwhelming and no it doesn't mean you are crazy. It means you are seriously depressed and need help asap! Please don't hesitate if this is happening to you now or does in the future. There is no reason to suffer alone when there are many medications they can give you to help calm the depression down. RSD affects the limbic part of our brain which controls our emotions. This is how the depression happens.What I would also like to discuss is how I beat the blues when these feelings are overwhelming. I have found many ways to do this and would like to share mine with you and also would love to hear all of your ways too!Music is a big depression buster for me as long as I pick carefully. I always pick something upbeat and it never fails to bring my mood up. I get out of the house. Sit outside and read, play in my garden,water my plants,or go somewhere if I want to or have the energy to is more like it lol. Either way just by getting fresh air it totally recharges your mood and puts a smile back on your face. If it's a rainy day and you have a porch sit outside and watch the rain it is very relaxing. If it is raining and you can't go out baking cookies is a great option it makes the house smell good and you get to sample the goodies yumyum. Any hobbie you enjoy is a great depression buster too. A good movie or the computer help me too you need the distraction otherwise your mind will harp on unpleasant things you don't want it to. Take care of,brush,hold,or feed your pet if you have one. I also love to cut some flowers from my garden and put them in the vase on my dinner table. Well these are just some of mine I would love to hear all the different ways you beat the blues or depression and if you feel comfortable and want to say anything about your experience with depression you can add that as well. Just add your thoughts to this post.
Love,
Robyn

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From: DocSuess Sent: 10/5/2007 4:54 PM
Hi Robyn,

This is a great discussion. I have been depressed for over a year. I think that with RSD your life has changed over night. Most illness takes time before you lose your mobility. Unlike RSD, when one day you wake up in pain and can no longer use that part of your body. And also unlike most illness you still fell healthy. But if you do anything the pain is going to increases. And to add to this, you have to still pay your bills. That is a fight with workers comp or SSDi. Then to make things worse most of the doctors and health professional do not understand this illness. I do understand why people get depress with RSD.

The last two weeks my depression has got a hold of me. Before this what worked for me was four things. The first is a do see someone for my depression. Most of the time this helps. Just to be able to talk to someone about all the shit. Then reading a good book or see a good movie. But the number one thing. That keep my mind off of what were going on was to get in the car and take a day trip. Just get away. To go to some place new or go to some place old. That was not the point. Just to run away for a few hours. This could just be done on good days. But it gave me a big lift. Now, I just can not sit and look at the TV. I have spent a year in front of the TV. And now with the first day of fall. All I can think of is all the things I did not do this summer. Or let me put it another way. All the things I could not do this summer. With the thought of winter just around the corner. And the knowledge that I am just bored with my life.

Lou

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From: Liz3079 Sent: 10/6/2007 1:51 PM
Hi Robyn

I also suffer very much from depression. Most days I really dont feel like even getting out of bed but I have to as my son lives with me.I have things to do but I just take my time doing them.It may take all morning to wash dishes even if its a few. I just cant get over how rsd has changed my life 100 per cent. I am always so very very tired and Im sure its from the depression and the rsd both.Most of the time I really dont feel like talking to anyone as I really dont think they understand. I actually had one friend tell me she thinks I get too many ideas from the internet about what I have.It really made me mad. I told her no,I already have these things going on so I check the internet to see if it has to do with the rsd and Id say about every time it does.Like Lou said,most drs really dont understand rsd and I cant blame them.But I know for a fact these are not things I am imagining.These are real things.I feel you people are the only ones who truly understand.And I feel very comfortable coming here.

I really dont do anything special for the depression,usually just come here,check what is going on and how everyone is. I never have any money to go anywhere or do anything,always so broke.No one to help me.I mostly just try to tell myself God is with me through all I am going through and that kinda helps some.I just feel gloom and doom most of the time,wondering what did I do to deserve this.Ive always been a good and kind person and I feel sometimes Im being punished .

Have you guys ever heard of Oprah.Shes out of Chicago,Illinois. She has a web site. Maybe we all oughta email her about our rsd and go on her show. I think they make arrangements for you to get to Chicago.People have got to be educated about this strange disease and public television would be a good way to do it.

I do enjoy my pretty flowers I planted in the early summer.They are still so beautiful.I never see my hummingbirds anymore.

Well,my arm is killing me as usual. I gotta go.

love and gentle hugs
liz

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From: byrd45 Sent: 10/6/2007 3:52 PM
Hi Lou,
I know exactly what you mean when you said RSD hits overnight and then suddenly everything is so different. It really does throw us all into a tail spin that way I think. It's so sudden you never get a chance to catch your breath and get used to what is happening to you and your life everything.Worker's Comp has done so many horrible things to me as well and they just complicate an already impossible situation for those of us forced to go through the rigors of their system.RSD is such a confusing illness for all of us to understand that is why I started this group hoping to connect with others where we could share information and help each other. I never thought the board would turn out like it did although I am so glad it did! It was very small at first, and I am thankful we all have each other to go to when we need a sounding board or have questions or just have someone to talk to.I appreciate you all so much whether everyone here realizes it or not you all helped me through my depression by not giving up on me when I needed time away.I talk to a therapist too Lou and it really helps me too. We go to family therapy every Tuesday and we all talk about whatever issues are going on or things that are bothering us.That has been a very important outlet for me as well.I'm glad that is helping you too.I get sick of the TV myself that is why alot of times I just turn it off and put my favorite music on and do something else I enjoy. I really don't want the rest of my life to be sitting in front of the t.v. either.I get bored alot too even with all the hobbies I have. Do you have any hobbies you have that could help relieve the boredom when you feel like that next time? I don't know if you like to read but if you do the library is a great boedom buster. I have recently started to go again checking out books and roaming around looking at magazines I have always loved it there. They also rent video's and books on tape free if you are interested in that.It's a good way to kill a few hours and enjoyable too.Talk to you soon!
Love,
Robyn

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From: byrd45 Sent: 10/18/2007 2:51 PM
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From: byrd45 Sent: 10/6/2007 4:05 PM
Hi Liz,
That is good you make yourself get out of bed and do what you can. That is exactly what I was talking about in my other post and it really is the only way to go if you want to hold onto sanity. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get those dishes done the fact that you are making the effort and completing the task is most important here. Good for you! I bet your son is very proud of you too. As for your friend believing you are taking things from the internet she doesn't sound like toomuch of a friend sorry to be harsh but that is a horrible thing to say to you. She basically is saying she doesn't believe you have RSD and all it's symptoms without having the nerve to come right out and say it. I had a few so called friends like that too. We aren't in touch anymore my choice.That was my choice though I am not saying how you should handle your friend I just don't think it was very nice that's all.I watch Oprah all the time and a bunch of us led by Keith from RSDHope and they weren't interested unfortunately. That doesn't mean our group could try again though. I'll put up a post to the group and see what they think.Good idea Liz!
Love,
Robyn

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From: EMY2628 Sent: 10/6/2007 7:45 PM
I THINK THIS IS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION TO PICK.
FIRST YOU GET HIT WITH THE INITIAL DEPRESSION FROM WHATEVER YOUR INJURY WAS, THEN IN MANY CASES IT TAKES MONTHS OR YRS OF DOING EVERYTHING THE DOC TELLS YOU TO DO AND THINGS JUST GETTING WORSE AND WORSE BEFORE YOU EVEN HEAR THE WORD RSD!!!
THEN YOU FIND OUT WHAT RSD IS AND THE SECOND MAJOR WAVE OF DEPRESSION HITS YOUR BODY, THIS WAVE NEVER REALLY LEAVES IT JUST SORT OF SITS IN THE BACKROUND AND POPS OUT NOW AND THEN TOTALLY DISRUPTING YOUR LIFE.
THEN YOU HAVE TO EITHER DEAL WITH SSD OR WC OR FOR SOME PEOPLE BOTH, WHICH BRINGS ON A NEW TYPE OF DEPRESSION BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IN BOTH CASES IS MEANT TO WORK AGAINST THE INJURED/SICK PERSON AND CAUSES SUCH STRESS IT MAKES YOU WANT TO JUST GIVE UP AND CLOSE YOURSELF UP IN A DARK ROOM.
THEN WE START WITH THE DEPRESSIONS THAT COME FROM DOCTORS WHO LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOUR CRAZY WHEN YOU TELL THEM THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS OF YOUR BODY, THEN WHERE THE RSD WAS DXED. WHEN YOU FINIALLY FIND ONE WHO BELIEVES WHAT YOU ARE SAYING YOU REALIZE THAT THE RSD HAS SPREAD AND THAT MAKES THE DEPRESSION EVEN WORSE. OF COURSE THEN YOU STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE POLITICS OF THE DOCTORS OFFICE AND THE DOCTORS OR NURSES WHO APPARENTLY THINK THEY ARE GOD AND HOLD YOUR HEALTH/TREARMENTS AND QULITY OF LIFE OVER YOUR HEAD AND DROP YOU LIKE A PIECE OF TRASH IN THE STREET, WHICH MAKES THE DEPRESSION WORSE STILL.
OF COURSE THERE IS ALSO THE DEPRESSION OF KNOWING THERE ARE SOME TREATMENTS OUT THERE THAT MAY HELP YOU, BUT BECAUSE OF THESE DOC'S/NURSESE OR INSURANCE COMPANIES YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THEM , ALL THE WHILE YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE GETTING WORSE AND YOUR RSD HAS SPREAD THROUGH YOUR WHOLE BODY.

I WOULD SAY THAT DEPRESSION IS A MAJOR PART OF HAVING RSD AND WILL ALWAYS POP OUT IT'S UGLY HEAD AT INTERVALS ALONG THE PATH, SOMETIMES WORSE THEN OTHERS, BUT WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF WHAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH BECAUSE OF WHAT RSD HAS DONE TO YOUR AND YOUR BODY LIFE.

EILEEN

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From: byrd45 Sent: 10/10/2007 3:35 PM
Hi Eileen,
I think you made a very good point in your post that depression is interwoven in life with RSD. I think with a whole lot of us this is definitely the case. I know it has been in my case. It made me think how many times along the way depression has entered the picture and you are right it keeps poking its ugly head up time and time again. At least we know what to expect so maybe when it happens next time we can tell ourselves okay I know what is happening hear it is that depression again. Maybe next time that will give us that extra boost to help us through those black days.
Love,
Robyn