So I had a tell so to speak. I thought well if I can tell when a flare is coming on then maybe I can prepare myself for it. Oh boy was I wrong. Whenever I thought, well this was the worst flare ever, it can't get any worse, the next one would be worse. The other day over on RA Chicks I noticed a lot of the women talking about something I used to do. Whenever my hands would get "stuck" in a claw I would force them out of that claw. So today I YES have hands that our no claws, but that is not to say I didn't do any damage by doing that. I won't go into how I made them unstick, because personally I think it is probably a really bad idea to actually do it. Today there are times when my hands are basically useless. There are days that I can't hold onto a cup to save my life.
I think most if not all of the women I have met online with RA have dealt with some kind of depression. The problem is that it is not spoken about. There is such a stigma about the depression and going on medications, that people want to ignore it.
Below is an article from the Arthritis Foundation about depression with RA.
Depression in People with rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to experience depression but are unlikely to talk to a doctor about it, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Betsy Sleath, PhD, the study’s chief investigator, said that although depression in primary care settings has been well examined, no previous studies have looked at whether rheumatologists and RA patients discuss depression during medical visits.
In the study, researchers found that almost 11 percent of people with RA had moderately severe to severe symptoms of depression. Those who were rated as being more restricted in their normal activities were significantly more likely to have these symptoms.
The study also found that only one in five of the patients who showed symptoms of depression discussed it with their rheumatologists. Those who did were always the ones to bring up the topic, not the physician. When depression was brought up, it was often not discussed at any length.
“Chronic diseases can greatly affect a patient’s psychosocial well-being, and depression can also affect a patient’s adherence to treatment regimens,” Sleath said. “Since many arthritis patients see their rheumatologist more often then their primary-care physician, we recommend that rheumatologists take steps to screen patients for signs of depression.”
In addition to screening for depression, Sleath said it is important for patients to have access to appropriate treatment. Rheumatologists can treat the depression themselves, refer patients to a mental health professional or communicate with the patient’s primary-care physician to coordinate a treatment plan.
This article was adapted from a press release issued by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Betsy Sleath, PhD, the study’s chief investigator, said that although depression in primary care settings has been well examined, no previous studies have looked at whether rheumatologists and RA patients discuss depression during medical visits.
In the study, researchers found that almost 11 percent of people with RA had moderately severe to severe symptoms of depression. Those who were rated as being more restricted in their normal activities were significantly more likely to have these symptoms.
The study also found that only one in five of the patients who showed symptoms of depression discussed it with their rheumatologists. Those who did were always the ones to bring up the topic, not the physician. When depression was brought up, it was often not discussed at any length.
“Chronic diseases can greatly affect a patient’s psychosocial well-being, and depression can also affect a patient’s adherence to treatment regimens,” Sleath said. “Since many arthritis patients see their rheumatologist more often then their primary-care physician, we recommend that rheumatologists take steps to screen patients for signs of depression.”
In addition to screening for depression, Sleath said it is important for patients to have access to appropriate treatment. Rheumatologists can treat the depression themselves, refer patients to a mental health professional or communicate with the patient’s primary-care physician to coordinate a treatment plan.
This article was adapted from a press release issued by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sleath B, Chewning B, de Vellis BM, et al. Communication about depression during rheumatoid arthritis patient visits. Arthritis Rheum (Arthritis Care Res) 2008;59:186-91.
http://www.arthritis.org/depression-ra.php
I want everyone to know that I have had a huge battle with depression my whole life. I was raised in such a way that anti-depressants were considered evil. When I was 19 and told by a GP that I needed to go on them, my mother threw my prescription away. She was not going to ALLOW me to be labeled as needing THOSE pills. So from that day on, until the end of 2006, I suffered with bouts of depression. I was SUPPOSED to be able to PRAY through it all. Now don't get me wrong. I am a Christian and I have been since I was 5. I love the Lord with all my heart. No I don't go to Church, have been seriously hurt emotionally and mentally in Church, all because of my RA. I DO LOVE GOD THOUGH. I do count myself as a Christian. I also take anti-depressants, and I won't apologise for that. I need them, they help me. They not only help me to feel things more normally, but they help me sleep and help with my pain. Before I went on my current anti-depressants I had not had a good nights sleep in months. Just being able to actually sleep helped so much with my mood. It made a huge difference in how I viewed the world. If you are suffering from depression please talk to your doctor, please get help.
No comments:
Post a Comment