Re: depression

[Guest guest]

I wanted to post to the group on this...

It is pretty well known that a lot of us were misdiagnosed over the

years and told our issues were " all in your head " Past that whole

thing is the plain and simple fact that Chiari changes our lives and

the ways in which we can live. If that was not enough to cause

depression our bodies tend to be in constant pain. Chronic pain

changes the way that we use seratonin (and other nuroreceptors).

This tends to put our body us in constant short supply of those

receptors. Whether or not we choose to address these shortages with

meds, supplements, or by altering our diet (and to some extent

exercise) I jusk ask that people remember these deficiencies and not

allow yourselves to suffer unnessicarily on top of everything else we

go through.

Charnel

>

> As with many grave illness, do people with ACM also experience

> depression on the short-term basis?

>

[Guest guest]

This is such an important issue to discuss!

I was told by the psychologist that I was referred to that some bouts

of minor " situational " depression are normal. It is OK to have

feelings of loss, to grieve for what we are going through. So many of

us experience loss of jobs, difficulties with doctors or family

members, changes in lifestyle, chronic pain, financial difficulties,

the loss of " the dream " and the list goes on.

These losses are very real and we grieve for these types of losses

the same way as if we lost a loved one. We will each experience the

different stages at our own pace... and it is possible to be grieving

for many different " losses " at the same time.

The stages of grief are:

Denial: The initial stage: " It can't be happening. "

Anger: " Why ME? It's not fair! "

Bargaining: " Just let me live to see my child(ren) graduate. "

Depression: " I'm so sad, why bother with anything? "

Acceptance: " It's going to be OK. "

Once we experience these stages then we have to do the " grief work "

T = To accept the reality of the loss

E = Experience the pain of the loss

A = Adjust to the new environment without the lost object

R = Reinvest in the new reality

Grief becomes a problem when one becomes " stuck " in any one of the

grief phases and can not physically or emotionally move past into

acceptance. It is at this point that we need to seek help. There is

nothing wrong with this as we all need help from time to time! So if

you find yourself " stuck " - don't be afraid to ask for help.

Many people are able to work through their emotions through some form

of therapy, some need assistance with short term medications, others

with " cronic " depression are helped with long-term meds. These are

situations to best be determined by a liscensed care provider. The

key is... Don't be afraid to reach out!

[Guest guest]

P.S. I found this after I sent my last post...

" To feel pain after loss is normal. It proves that we are alive,

human. But we can't stop living. We have to become stronger, while not

shutting off our feelings for the hope of one day being healed and

finding love and/or happiness again. Helping others through something

we have experienced is a wonderful way to fascilitate our healing and

bring good out of something tragic. "