Posted by mtdew on January 20, 2004, at 23:57:27
In reply to Re: Sharp pains in head caused by anxiety? » mtdew, posted by SDA on January 20, 2004, at 21:35:11
I don't mean to seem like I'm pushing you in a particular direction, but it sounds an awfully lot like CFS. Hanging around here, you get the impression that mental illness can cause anything and everything, but I think the truth is, CFS and mental illness are nothing like each other... I've been reading a book on clinical depression, and I've begun to find answers to the questions I posed at the end of my first post to Siraris. At your particular stage, it probably will seem plausible that anxiety is causing your cognitive problems, since the two are inseparable as long as you're struggling in school. But if you take the anxiety away, and you still can't think, as was the case for me, then "stealth anxiety" seems unlikely. ADD is a lifelong condition, so that leaves depression as the other possibility. In depression, everything centers around mood. Someone who is suffering from depression as their primary illness would probably know it, IMHO, unless they are in denial. In any case, people do not describe depression as setting in with a sudden loss of cognitive ability; it always has something to do with hopelessness, fear, or despair. When a depressed person can't do their work, it has more to do with feelings of pointlessness or intruding thoughts of despair, than with feeling brain damaged even as you struggle ferociously for hours.
Here's a better place to read up on CFS than the ones I posted to Siraris:
http://www.cfids.org/about-cfids/symptoms.asp
Here's an article contrasting CFS and Major Depressive Disorder:
http://www.cfids.org/resources/provider-info-1.asp
I think the fact that you felt a blackout coming on during gym could be significant. You probably also start getting clumsy or disoriented when standing for an extended period. I get this too.
Unfortunately, CFS is much less treatable than mental illness, or most other illnesses for that matter, and even getting a diagnosis is hell... There is a large number of other (medical) things to rule out first, like thyroid disease, anemia, nutritional deficits, etc. When you go to your doctor, don't mention CFS, because most doctors are misinformed. Just describe all your symptoms and he should order blood and urine tests. They will probably come back normal, and then you might get sent to a neurologist and/or have an MRI, which will tell you if you have MS and are going to die (not to scare you:). At some point you'll probably be told to go back to the psychiatrist, because nothing is wrong with you. You will of course know better.
Anyway, it's a long journey ahead (probably). Maybe you'll get lucky and have a spontaneous remission. Don't hesitate to write if you have questions (I have a messiah complex and lots of time).
mtdewcmu_at_yahoo_plzdontspamme_commtdew
> To answer your questions:
>
> The OCD symptoms I had last year were mainly repeated checking of things like my alarm clock and whether or not my door was shut before bed. I was also constantly concerned with the cleanliness of my living space, and avoiding damage to myself and my material possessions. This year was mostly more of the same, but I also had the added stress of switching majors (which could cost me an extra year in college). This brought about new obsessive thoughts, which are rather hard to describe. It was when these thoughts were at their worst that I experienced the onset of brain fog.
>
> I don't think physical or mental exertion helps me much. There have been a couple times when simply pushing myself to death has yielded positive results. I couple months ago I was able to VERY briefly resurrect some of my old way of thinking. I was doing homework for my linear algebra class (solving systems of equations, VERY easy stuff), and after a couple hours of intense concentration I was able to visualize the math in an intuitive three dimensional sense as I was once easily able to do. The next day, however, the fog was back. I might be able to do it again, but I simply can't work that hard every day of my life.
>
> During the same time period, I had a gym class in which I played volley ball and ping pong (sad, I know). Neither of these things are particularly physically demanding, but there were a couple times while playing that I began to see stars. This should give you some idea of how physically active I am...
>
> Something else to note:
>
> Yesterday was an awful day. I was up until around 5am Sunday night (mostly just worrying). I couldn't get out of bed Monday morning, so I just slept off and on all day. Most of what I did that evening seems fuzzy and hard to recall exactly. I ended up lying down on top of my bed and sleeping for a couple hours, and then waking up. I changed clothes and got back into bed, but could not sleep again for many hours. Every time I started to doze off, I got violent spasms in my neck and legs (almost like mini seizures). I also had a strange feeling of paranoia, as if someone was watching me in the dark. When I finally fell asleep I had very strange and exhausting dreams. When I rest my head on my pillow, there's also a strange sensation of pressure being transferred to the opposite side of my skull.
>
> I might post a more in-depth reply to the thread you linked.
poster:mtdew
thread:301420
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040118/msgs/303533.html