Depression and CMT

[Guest guest]

How many people get depressed alot.Has CMT have to do with depression too.I

mean do people with CMT get depressed more often?

[Guest guest]

Do you mean: Are people with CMT especially and particularly more likely to be

depressed than any other group which has a long-term, degenerative disorder?

No ... unless a particular individual wants to dwell on the facts of their

condition. However, I am not going to do a meta-study to support this.

[Guest guest]

Yes, people who have a chronic illness (of any kind) are more susceptible to

depression than others who have no major illnesses.

With CMT, we are continuing to deteriorate slowly. This requires that we have

to continue to adjust to the new changes.  Experiencing sadness with  loss of

function or with pain or with inability to work is normal.  It's like grieving

any loss.  However, in this situation, the risk for clinical depression is

greater and when it occurs, treatment is advisable.

Here's an article on the subject:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Depression/hic_Chronic_Illness_and_Depre\

ssion.aspx

Why is depression common in people who have a chronic illness?

Depression is one of the most common complications of chronic illness. It is

estimated that up to one-third of individuals with a serious medical condition

experience symptoms of depression. People diagnosed with chronic illnesses must

adjust to the demands of the illness as well as to its treatment. The illness

may affect a person’s mobility and independence, and change the way a person

lives, sees him- or herself, and/or relates to others. These requirements can be

stressful and cause a certain amount of despair or sadness that is normal.

In some cases, having a chronic illness can trigger clinically significant

depression, a potentially serious but treatable illness itself. The challenge

for the doctor and the patient is to decide whether symptoms of depression are

just a normal reaction to the stress of having a chronic medical condition, or

so intense or disabling that they require additional specific antidepressant

treatment.

Which long-term illnesses lead to depression?

Any chronic condition can trigger depression, but the risk increases with the

severity of the illness and how much disruption it causes in one’s life.

Depression caused by chronic illness can in turn aggravate the illness, causing

a vicious cycle to develop. Depression is especially likely to occur when the

illness is associated with pain, disability, or social isolation. Depression in

turn can intensify pain, fatigue, and the self-doubt that can lead to avoidance

of others.

The rate for depression occurring with other medical illnesses is quite high:

Heart attack: 40%-65%

Coronary artery disease (without heart attack): 18%-20%

Parkinson’s disease: 40%

Multiple sclerosis: 40%

Stroke: 10%-27%

Cancer: 25%

Diabetes: 25%

What are the symptoms of depression?

Patients and their family members often overlook the symptoms of depression,

assuming that feeling depressed is normal for someone struggling with a serious,

chronic illness. Symptoms of depression such as fatigue, poor appetite, impaired

concentration, and insomnia are also common features of chronic medical

conditions, adding to the difficulty of deciding whether they are due to

depression or to the underlying illness. When depression is present, it is

extremely important to treat both the depression and the chronic medical illness

at the same time.

Common symptoms of depression include:

Depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities

Significant weight loss or weight gain

Sleep disturbances -- sleeping too much or not able to sleep

Problems with concentration

Apathy (lack of feeling or emotion)

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

Fatigue or loss of energy

Repeated thoughts of death or suicide

What can be done to treat depression?

Early diagnosis and treatment for depression can reduce distress as well as the

risk of suicide when it exists. Those with a chronic medical condition who get

treatment for co-existing depression often experience an improvement in their

overall medical condition, achieve a better quality of life, and find it easier

to follow through with their treatment plan.

Sometimes improved treatment of the chronic medical condition will alleviate the

symptoms of depression that it caused. When this is the case, specific treatment

for depression is unnecessary. Some medications can cause depression; in these

cases, the best thing to do is reduce or eliminate the offending agent. However,

when depression becomes a separate problem, it should be treated on its own.

The success of antidepressant treatment like any other treatment cannot be

guaranteed, but the majority of individuals treated for depression will recover.

Recovery is often more rapid and complete when both antidepressant medication

and psychotherapy (“talk therapyâ€) are combined. Many antidepressant

medicines are available to treat depression. How these drugs work is not fully

understood, but they affect brain chemicals that are believed to be involved in

depression.

Psychotherapy, or for short, actually refers to a variety of techniques used to

treat depression. Psychotherapy involves talking to a licensed professional who

helps the depressed person:

Focus on the behaviors, emotions, and ideas that contribute to his or her

depression.

Understand and identify the life problems or events such as a major illness, a

death in the family, the loss of a job, or a divorce that contribute to

depression and help them understand which aspects of those problems they may be

able to solve or improve.

Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.

Tips for coping with chronic illness

Depression, disability, and chronic illness form a vicious circle. Chronic

illness can bring on bouts of depression, which, in turn, can lead to a rundown

physical condition that interferes with successful treatment of the chronic

condition.

The following are some tips to help you better cope with a chronic illness:

Learn how to live with the physical effects of the illness.

Learn how to deal with the treatments.

Make sure there is clear communication with your doctors.

Try to maintain emotional balance to cope with negative feelings.

Try to maintain confidence and a positive self-image.

Get help as soon as symptoms of depression appear.

 

[Guest guest]

,

Depression is what keeps me from sleeping.  I took 2 Temazepam 2 hours ago.  A

normal person would have zonked out by now.  But I with my CMT and Depression am

 wide awake at 1 AM in the morning at my computer.  Depression seems to come

with the territory. 

I didn't know I was depressed until my primary care physician told me I had to

be or I wouldn't have such a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep.  Due

to my condition nothing else can be prescribed for me.  It's interesting, I

never had a sleeping problem until I was diagnosed with CMT in 2003. 

I am good at putting on a happy face most of the time, but misery loves company

and you are not alone as there are many of us missing what we used to be or not

having what we used to have.  Hope you have a better night than I am having.

Lyn from S. California 

 

[Guest guest]

Im not depressed anymore. I used to be. I am a positive person.

[Guest guest]

Lyn,

I think it is really interesting in what you said " many of us missing what we

use to be "  .  I watched a show that had Montel talking about his MS and

how he missed how he use to be, and I wondered how I would be different if I had

ever been " normal " .  I have had troubles since childhood and was always

considered clumsy, lazy, and not putting any effort into sports type

activities. 

I was actually relieved to find out I had CMT and I was not all of these

negative things I was told I was.  I always knew I was trying my best and it was

never good enough, knowing it was the CMT and not me was a relief.   I don't

miss being " normal " because I never was. 

Depression can be tough.  I was there at one time.  I now have a framed quote in

a place in my home where I see it all day long that says, " Start each day with a

grateful heart " .  Everytime I walk by it I think of something I am grateful for,

even very small things. (like today it will only be 93 degrees in the CA central

valley not 100:-)  I really helps me.

Cyndi