Posted by katekite on June 1, 2002, at 20:26:50
In reply to Re: Can anxiety cause memory and physical problems?, posted by kpo2002 on June 1, 2002, at 17:57:19
I guess I have to question whether anxiety or stress really are the "cause"? of all this, or whether it just puts you over the threshold of having symptoms of a disorder of some other cause. And I feel like doubting one's own perception of pain could lead, for some people who tend to doubt themselves to begin with, to delay investigation of something potentially serious.
Like, occasionally people with cancer who are put on drugs that make them optomistic and happy beat the odds, they live a normal life span. It doesn't mean depression caused their symptoms.
Or lets say someone has a heart problem. As it comes on over years they are only aware that every time they are stressed they feel faint and their pulse races. Did anxiety cause their heart problem since for they were only aware of it when they were stressed? After all, when they take klonopin they barely feel faint ever. It could take 20 years for it to get to the point where they actually have a heart attack, or never. But maybe a valve job would improve their life, now.
Rashes, dry skin, eyes involved... sjogrens or other autoimmune disease? Seen a dermatologist, had a biopsy of the patch of dry skin or the rash? How about duodenal washes and colonoscopy and intestinal biopsies? It's just surprising you are so deeply affected by anxiety. I'm no doctor and I don't mean to scare at all, it just would seem anxiety is a wild explanation for such complicated and serious symptoms.
At some point, if no medical explanation is found and symptoms are not worsening, I agree completely that it makes sense to stop dwelling on the undiagnosable and untreatable, and to start dwelling on coping and on reducing the severity of symptoms. Living in a state of non-diagnosis is difficult and a sort of emotional limbo. At that point it makes complete sense to see that anxiety is only treatable component of the constellation of problems and focus on that as the most important issue.
I feel concerned about your quality of life, and urge you to seek a re-evaluation if at any time a new symptom appears, or if you haven't seen one of the following specialists: endocrinologist, neurologist, dermatologist, rheumatologist in the last couple of years since all the symptoms you describe became apparent.
kate
poster:katekite
thread:106985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020525/msgs/108356.html