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Depression and Illness: Beware the One-two Punch

Pharm_bluedot.gif.A Tricky Condition
Pharm_bluedot.gif.The Good News

As if being sick isn't enough trouble, physical illness can affect your mental health. Any illness even one that you dont know you have can make you vulnerable to depression. The body and the mind have a close connection, and physical problems often cause emotional distress and depression.

  • Depression may occur as a direct result of being sick. Some physical ailments can affect your body in ways that cause symptoms of depression. The risk of depression is high among people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diseases of the thyroid or adrenal glands can cause a chemical imbalance, which can alter your mood. Many other physical ailments are commonly associated with depression.
  • Loss of independence may make you unhappy. Watch out if a physical illness interferes with your activities and lifestyle. For example, chronic pain may prevent you from working or participating in hobbies you love. Zapped energy may lower your self-esteem. You may have trouble filling your role as an employee or parent. You may need to depend on others for help. Adjusting from being independent to having to depend on others even temporarily is never easy.
  • Sadness may be a side effect. Depression is a side effect of many medications. (In some cases, the side effects of medications only mimic depression.) You may want to ask your doctor about this potential side effect if you recently started a new medication and are feeling down.
  • Disability may get you down. When a physical illness leads to disability, you may be faced with a loss not unlike when a friend or close family member dies. You may need to mourn the loss. And with some progressive diseases, you may mourn multiple losses.
  • Recovery may get tougher. Depression can interfere with recovering from physical illness. It can sap the energy you need to take steps to get better.
A Tricky Condition

Because depression and physical illness can share symptoms, diagnosing them can be especially difficult when they occur at the same time. This is particularly true in older people, who are at a higher risk of having one or more physical ailments.

Often, depression is the first sign that another illness may be at play. Anytime you don't feel like yourself, particularly if this feeling lasts longer than two weeks, it's wise to let your doctor know.

The Good News

Depression can be treated. Even better, research indicates that treating depression in people with a chronic physical condition may actually improve their physical condition, reduce their pain and level of disability, and enhance their quality of life.

Health Problems Commonly Associated With Depression
  • AIDS
  • Alcoholism
  • Alzheimers disease
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Brain tumors
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Chronic pain
  • Diabetes
  • Epilepsy
  • Flu
  • Head injury
  • Hepatitis
  • Hormonal disorders, such as increased or decreased levels of thyroid hormone
  • Lupus
  • Mononucleosis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinsons disease
  • Pneumonia
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Schizophrenia
  • Sleep apnea
  • Stroke
  • Substance-abuse problems
  • Syphilis
  • Tuberculosis
  • Vitamin deficiency (specifically B6 and B12)
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