[jrae]

so I just want to throw something out there and see what others have to say about it or any comments there may be. thanks.


I think that people who have an MI (mental illness), have a much harder time dealing with physical symptoms/ injuries/ pain than what 'regular' people do.

when regular people have physical injuries or pain, they have their regular-working mind to help them thru that or manage it. so it really isn't too much for them to deal with it or work around it.

but for people who have an MI, they don't have their 'mind' to help them. (cuz part of the time, their mind can be working against them) and without their mind to help them, it makes things much harder. and that's on top of having their MI, which can make ordinary tasks seem like climbing a frickin' mountain.

so wouldn't it kinda make sense, that even having the same physical injuries or pain in both a regular person and a person with an MI, that it wouldn't be the same?! meaning how the injuries and pain were handled or processed or even how/when/if they healed.

does that make any sense to anyone or what??

[guiltier65]

I understand your topic and want to throw in my 2 cents worth. I agree with you. Having a physical ailment on top of a mental illness would be difficult, depending on the form of mental illness; could cause different responses to the physical illness. In my experience, I tend to ignore physical symptoms until they are overwhelming; because i place little value on self. However another person with depression might be a bit of a hypochondriac, running to the dr to cure every phantom pain/ distress. Many of us do have physical ailments such as IBS, migraines and other issues. We either choose to give in to them and seek our beds/rest/solitude; or we choose to muscle our way through the discomfort until it becomes unbearable. after all, we are already in pain, thanks to our own mind working against us; what is a little more pain? I hope my response makes sense

[dexter]

I'm in a weird (unusual/seemingly uncommon) state with my depression. I don't seem to have lost my sense of self worth. I think I am of value at work, I think I am a likeable person. A big part of my depression stems from the fact that I am alone and I don't know why because I think I do deserve a good life that I don't seem to have. I do think I deserve my health.

However I agree with your proposal 110%. Because with the depression it is simply so hard to get the energy to take care of myself. I went for several months without important prescriptions because they expired and I couldn't tear up the energy to call the doctor and try to get refills. This weekend I was in bed all day Sat, then developed pneumonia on Sunday, I knew in the morning I should go for an xray but didn't get there until the afternoon because the idea of putting my shoes on to go out and then OMG to drive there was simply overwhelming.

[Ladycakes]

It has actually been found that physical pain symptoms are actually more painful in people who are suffering mental illness. I can't give the proper scientific explanation, but it is all based on the chemical and hormonal interactions in the brain, the brain is more receptive to pain. So in a healthy person, a sore back might feel like a pain level of 4 on a scale of 1-10, but to someone with depression for example, the pain translates more at say a level 7. So it's not just that we are not as good at dealing with physical symptoms, pain really is more painful!

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[bugbear83]

I think it's funny because I've always had a reputation for being a "wimp" and being really bad with pain. It's interesting to think there's a reason behind it...

I would agree with Ladycakes that depression or other mental illnesses can increase pain. There are chemical releases in the body where it makes you more sensitive to pain. I've heard that when some people have intense pain, they would take antidepressants to ease the pain and it would work very well. Even those who do not have depression.

Another thing is that MI can lead you into a vicious cycle in life; especially in your social life. I read somewhere (and I believe this) that when you have some kind of MI, people pick up on it. If they don't know you, they don't know what your problem is, but they feel that there's something off about you. So it becomes a vicious cycle that you may be lonely; and then it's just hard to make friends because of this.

I know that I have been approached by others who want to get to know me and I feel that there's something odd about them. So I wouldn't get too interested in being friends with them. On the flip side, that's my problem also. Just last week, I had a small counseling session with the minister at where I go to church . He had mentioned that I'm not comfortable around people and that's what puts them off to get near me. I didn't like hearing that, but I have reconciled that he could be correct. I guess one thing I should do is try to make friends with others who are not very well gifted socially. It could help me a lot, but it's not very easy.

I do envy others who seem to have it together. They seem "happy-go-lucky" and have an easy time to have others drawn to them. Also they seem like when bad things happen, they can just wipe it right off of them.

[Marla500]

When you have fewer reserves (because they've been depleted ) you have less to fight back with and everything just hurts more

[jrae]

Originally Posted by Ladycakes

It has actually been found that physical pain symptoms are actually more painful in people who are suffering mental illness. I can't give the proper scientific explanation, but it is all based on the chemical and hormonal interactions in the brain, the brain is more receptive to pain. So in a healthy person, a sore back might feel like a pain level of 4 on a scale of 1-10, but to someone with depression for example, the pain translates more at say a level 7. So it's not just that we are not as good at dealing with physical symptoms, pain really is more painful!

wow, thanks. great info. so it's a 'brain' thing and not a 'mind' thing - so good to know.

I wanted to get some outsiders perspectives and thoughts on this. cuz on top of my MI, I now have injuries and pains from a car crash. and some of the comments that people have been making to me just really got me thinking.

like the one my dad made the other day. I had asked him to come over and close one of the big shed doors here cuz it wasn't closed right. (that was like a couple weeks ago) and the door catches on the bottom, so it does take some pushing/shoving/pulling to get it closed tight (as in back/arms/neck/legs type work). he wasn't busy so it was no big deal. then the other day he was here in that shed and "showed" me how to close the door. he leaned backward against it and said 'you just use your butt do to it'.

I said to him, 'that's hard to do when your low back is the problem'. and he said 'mine is too'. (then something like 'you just have to suck it up'.) okay, I'm not trying to be a jerk here. my dad is a farmer and has been for like almost forty years. and I know it's physically demanding work so I have no doubt that his back would hurt him from time to time.

but comparing aches and pains to a relatively new injury doesn't seem like a fair comparison, especially when he really doesn't know much about my injuries or how much pain it can cause.

[jrae]

Originally Posted by bugbear83

I think it's funny because I've always had a reputation for being a "wimp" and being really bad with pain. It's interesting to think there's a reason behind it...

that is interesting. I've had a MI for more than half my life. and I have a high tolerance level for pain! I think I always have.

[jrae]

Originally Posted by will19

I would agree with Ladycakes that depression or other mental illnesses can increase pain. There are chemical releases in the body where it makes you more sensitive to pain.

Another thing is that MI can lead you into a vicious cycle in life; especially in your social life. I read somewhere (and I believe this) that when you have some kind of MI, people pick up on it. If they don't know you, they don't know what your problem is, but they feel that there's something off about you. So it becomes a vicious cycle that you may be lonely; and then it's just hard to make friends because of this.

I do envy others who seem to have it together. They seem "happy-go-lucky" and have an easy time to have others drawn to them. Also they seem like when bad things happen, they can just wipe it right off of them.

if a person has a fair amount of pain, they can get depressed due to it. and if they already are depressed and then get pain, its almost like the two feed off each other, one making the other one worse. now that's a vicious cycle indeed...