This may sound like an obvious question, but do you really know the answer? According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the signs of depression are:
- Irritability or sadness, even over small matters
- Reduced sex drive
- Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Agitation or restlessness
- Slow thinking
- Indecisiveness, distractibility, and decreased concentration
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Crying spells
- Unexplained physical problems, like back pain
Now, I don’t know about you, but have you read anything about chronic pain or taken a look at the side effects of your pain medication? Anything familiar? Like, all of it! So now let’s look at the question again; does it seem easy to answer now? How do we know what is pain, side effect, or depression? For me, and we’re all different, but I know when I start to not care about whether I shower, how I dress and such; these are definite signs of depression for me. Also, my concept of time is thrown off terribly when depression starts to seep in.
In truth, my best detector is my spouse. Without her, I wouldn’t know for sure; about anything. How about you? Do you know the difference between your chronic pain and depression? Do you have a way to really know if you’re depressed? This isn’t a scare tactic and I don’t want anyone to worry. However, if you are depressed I don’t want you to take the wrong measures. There is help for you chronic pain, and if depression creeps in; well there’s ways to deal with that also. The first thing to do though, open up and discuss it. Let’s find out what others, and there are others, have done.
I seldom get depressed with my bipolar other than getting a bit weepy but when the big one hits me, I basically shut down and Jack has to practically lead me by the hand to do anything.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Michelle. Although I'm training one of our Boxers as my service dog, my wife Stefanie is my real service partner. She's the one who guides me out of the dark when I am in so much pain I can't see straight. I pray your "big ones" don't hit too often. Thanks again for stopping by and your comments. They're always great and I appreciate them; and of course I appreciate you! In Christ, Tom
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