[liz0323]

Hey there! So normally I would never share all this with the world of the internet but as everyone here understands... I'm curious to see if other people have dealt with this. I was diagnosed as bi polar but am almost always more depressed about six years ago. For years I was managed quite well with a mix of medications and lived a very normal productive life. I've had rsd for about 7 months now, with none of the treatments they keep swearing will work doing a damn bit of good. I feel my depression sliding out of control ( I just lost my job officially after being on workers comp med leave for six months ) . I've tried talking to my psych about the depression, and she tried to put me in the hospital. NO. I don't have health insurance any more and I'm hoping to pass the psych exam for a scs so going into the hospital wont help me. I don't feel suicidal, but how can you feel like there's anything to look forward to when this disease is eating you alive? I've tried talking to my mother ( her response was did she need to come over was I suicidal... ok that didn't help me besides make me angry that she couldn't understand I was just severely upset ). It seems like nobody gets it. How do you manage having a disease that leads to depression when you already were in a depressive state and taking the maximum amount of medication to control the depression? Has anybody else had to deal with these two things at once? How did you manage? I just feel like I don't know where to turn and I WANT to not feel like this so badly but I don't know how to help myself... which ****** me off to be honest lol. Even if it's weird, I'm open to anybody's advice about what they did to try to push off the major depression that comes with this.

[Brambledog]

Liz, that's very brave to talk about your bipolar and depression, I can't imagine dealing with those alongside CRPS, so I can only talk from my own point of view...

I would guess that every single one of us on this forum has gone or is going through some form of depression as part of dealing with our CRPS. It is a condition that is rare enough not to be understood (or believed) by far too many medical professionals, half the time our own doctors don't understand how it works, and we are in unrelenting pain nearly all the time - pain which cannot be controlled by normal pain relief medication. Even opioids are largely ineffective for most CRPS sufferers. Yet CRPS does not (allegedly) affect our expected lifespan. We could live to 80+ with this pain every day. I think it's fair enough that coming to terms with that sentence involves some mental anguish and depression.

Anti-depressants are available to us, along with counselling etc, but I've been lucky enough to avoid the meds, and came out of the other side of the really dark patch myself. I'm aware though that that dark patch might have been less dark and over quicker if I'd had some medical help at the time, but equally it might not. I'm not sure either way tbh. I think the counselling and the pain management course helped, along with knowing that I wasn't alone with my feelings and fears.

Everybody has different ways of dealing with this both long term and day-to-day. Mine are about positive thinking, distraction and keeping busy (mentally if not physically ), along with my hour a day of CRPS management....I do stretching, gentle exercises, massage and then meditation. It helps me feel in control, and keeps my body in some kind of condition. Not like before CRPS, but better than I was after the first year of it. Through the day I use breathing exercises to cope with pain spikes and stress.

My way isn't perfect, and it's not for everyone, but it's the best I've come up with so far. I struggle with a lot of pain meds anyway, so relief from much of the physical pain hasn't happened for me. I deal with it as best I can, and I think that's all any of us can do. Most days are OK, and better than they used to be. I hang on to that thought, and try to be glad for what I can still do rather than dwell on what I can't. I think that was what I was doing in the bad times early on....concentrating on how much I'd lost and wondering why it had happened to me, and if I'd ever be able to do all those things I wanted to. That kind of thinking is dangerous long-term because it just makes you feel hopeless and afraid. I try to stick to the day-to-day thing...one day at a time, and finding my smiles where I can in the day.

I can't give you an answer on how to deal with the overwhelming fears and feelings that come with this disease at times, but I'd just say to look for the good things whenever you can - lists are good for that, because you can objectively look at the good stuff you still have. I did the good/bad list, and it helped me - the blank page was scary, but once I'd started, and got some of the worst crappy stuff down on the bad side, the good side filled up ok, and better than I thought. It made a difference.

The pain is the thing that we have to find our way with. It can be so overwhelming, and frightening, and you just want it to stop. Lessening my stress has helped me cope with the pain better, and that's where my little daily hour of routine makes the difference.

Experiment with different things yourself and try to find things that make you feel even the tiniest bit better. Watching a film, listening to favourite music, eating chocolate (lol, not too much!), driving out to see a lovely view, being with someone you love, doing a hobby, making music, doing a craft activity or something else that keeps your hands busy.....all these sorts of things can help. Even if it's a tiny amount, 4 or 5 small things in one day can make you smile instead of cry.... I used I cry a lot

Sorry this turned into such a ramble

Take good care of yourself, and I hope you find some good things to help you in the fight. You are always worth fighting for.

Bram.

[mommystime2]

Originally Posted by Brambledog

Liz, that's very brave to talk about your bipolar and depression, I can't imagine dealing with those alongside CRPS, so I can only talk from my own point of view...

I would guess that every single one of us on this forum has gone or is going through some form of depression as part of dealing with our CRPS. It is a condition that is rare enough not to be understood (or believed) by far too many medical professionals, half the time our own doctors don't understand how it works, and we are in unrelenting pain nearly all the time - pain which cannot be controlled by normal pain relief medication. Even opioids are largely ineffective for most CRPS sufferers. Yet CRPS does not (allegedly) affect our expected lifespan. We could live to 80+ with this pain every day. I think it's fair enough that coming to terms with that sentence involves some mental anguish and depression.

Anti-depressants are available to us, along with counselling etc, but I've been lucky enough to avoid the meds, and came out of the other side of the really dark patch myself. I'm aware though that that dark patch might have been less dark and over quicker if I'd had some medical help at the time, but equally it might not. I'm not sure either way tbh. I think the counselling and the pain management course helped, along with knowing that I wasn't alone with my feelings and fears.

Everybody has different ways of dealing with this both long term and day-to-day. Mine are about positive thinking, distraction and keeping busy (mentally if not physically ), along with my hour a day of CRPS management....I do stretching, gentle exercises, massage and then meditation. It helps me feel in control, and keeps my body in some kind of condition. Not like before CRPS, but better than I was after the first year of it. Through the day I use breathing exercises to cope with pain spikes and stress.

My way isn't perfect, and it's not for everyone, but it's the best I've come up with so far. I struggle with a lot of pain meds anyway, so relief from much of the physical pain hasn't happened for me. I deal with it as best I can, and I think that's all any of us can do. Most days are OK, and better than they used to be. I hang on to that thought, and try to be glad for what I can still do rather than dwell on what I can't. I think that was what I was doing in the bad times early on....concentrating on how much I'd lost and wondering why it had happened to me, and if I'd ever be able to do all those things I wanted to. That kind of thinking is dangerous long-term because it just makes you feel hopeless and afraid. I try to stick to the day-to-day thing...one day at a time, and finding my smiles where I can in the day.

I can't give you an answer on how to deal with the overwhelming fears and feelings that come with this disease at times, but I'd just say to look for the good things whenever you can - lists are good for that, because you can objectively look at the good stuff you still have. I did the good/bad list, and it helped me - the blank page was scary, but once I'd started, and got some of the worst crappy stuff down on the bad side, the good side filled up ok, and better than I thought. It made a difference.

The pain is the thing that we have to find our way with. It can be so overwhelming, and frightening, and you just want it to stop. Lessening my stress has helped me cope with the pain better, and that's where my little daily hour of routine makes the difference.

Experiment with different things yourself and try to find things that make you feel even the tiniest bit better. Watching a film, listening to favourite music, eating chocolate (lol, not too much!), driving out to see a lovely view, being with someone you love, doing a hobby, making music, doing a craft activity or something else that keeps your hands busy.....all these sorts of things can help. Even if it's a tiny amount, 4 or 5 small things in one day can make you smile instead of cry.... I used I cry a lot

Sorry this turned into such a ramble

Take good care of yourself, and I hope you find some good things to help you in the fight. You are always worth fighting for.

Bram.

I so understand you! I was diagnosed bi polar about 17 years ago crps 2.5 years ago. Get this I was controlling bi polar without meds for 7 years. Now they use many depression meds to help with pain of crps, I can't take them, each has their own side effects that either make me extremely crazy, suicidal, or lethargic. What do I do? I b@tch, I complain, I cry, I cry in the shower, I yell, I scream, I get no where. I drive....yes no matter how much the crps gets me down I drive, if u can't drive find someone to chauffeur u, they don't need to talk, the need to allow you to say I want a coffee please get it for me, then hit the open road, crank you fav music, relax, yes relax. The only doc I see is my PCA, he is trying, I know I'm not an easy case, I have ups n downs with pain from back injury, and crps bad in right arm, minor in left arm and now it's in my feet where every day is different. Ot helps, pt did help for back, but meds made it unable to go to each for two weeks, so off those meds. I do see a cbt counselor, cognitive behavior therapist. I hate crps, I want to die every day, no I'm not suicidal, I just don't wanna wake up each n every morning. People don't understand that around me. But I do understand you. Hit me sometime....Facebook, heather dawn Roode ....email destination2_unknown@yahoo.com ....let's understand each other!

[RSD ME]

Hi Liz, I'm sorry you are dealing with so much. I've had clinical depression for most of my life and have been on medication for it for most of my life. My mother also has clinical depression but refuses to get treatment for it because she see's it as a weakness. I don't agree. The meds I've taken have helped me to deal better with my depression. Then I got rsd three years ago and fibromyalgia one year ago and my depression sank to an all time low. I had to increase my meds for depression (xanax and zoloft) which my psychiatrist prescribes to me on a monthly basis. I also had to increase my pain meds for rsd because the stress caused by my depression caused my rsd pain to become worse. It's a vicious cycle. How do I deal with it? It's not easy. I try the old motto, "take it one day at a time". Except for my son, I really am on my own with my depression and rsd. internet. I lost a loved one in my family just before the holidays who was like a mother to me. My only good friend has abandoned me since I've been sick. We've been friends for 41 years. I am in debt up to my eyeballs from medical bills and am in constant physical pain which is spreading from rsd. Then I have to deal with drs who don't get rsd and shuffle me from one dr to another to avoid having to guess at what to do for me. So I understand how you feel. I really do. I don't have a specific thing that helps me to deal with all of the mess that my life has become. The main reason I keep going though, is for my son. He is my whole life and I want to be there for him even if it's not the way I used to be there for him. I don't want him to see me as a quitter. I taught him better than that. The other thing that keeps me going when I feel like I'm completely falling apart is my faith in God. I know that not everyone believes and I don't know what you believe, but this is what helps me. I have to believe there is someone up there watching over me who is going to and has given me strength to face each new day with as much courage as I can muster up. So those are my strategies. I don't know if they will help you, but I hope they do. And if they don't, I hope it helps to know that I understand your pain both mentally and physically and am always here if you need a friend to talk to. I may fade in and out from time to time because sometimes I need to rest my mind and body and regroup, but I'll come back. In the meantime, I will pray that you have a better today and an even better tomorrow. Take care. From your friend, Renee.

[heatherg23]

RSD 8/2005
No one should have to deal with either of those conditions.
It's a work in progress. Winter is hell for me. I get extremely sad in the winter because I basically don't leave my bed. I live on it. i feel like I'm in jail. A least in the summer I can enjoy the weather. I can go to the forest preserve and sit at the lake or take my dogs for a 10 min walk. The grocery store is my only time "out". My hobbies used to really cheer me up to keep me out of depression. All my pains make that impossible. I love to create things now I can't. All I have is my TV and my dogs to keep me occupied. Very boring and hate it! I'm completely isolated.

I have always thought of life with RSD as balancing act. Good stuff has to out-weight the bad stuff. WE all know what the bad stuff is. I guess we each have to find out what "the good stuff" is. My good stuff was learning how to crochet and knit (which I did after all my RSD treatments were done in 2006) and help others doing it. I helped make blankets for injured soldiers. I had to do something good with my situation. The charity closed a while back and now I have nothing to do. I can't afford to ship things anyways.


I really hope things improve for you. Really do!
Heather

[baseballfan]

I was dxed with RSD april 2009. and then dxed wiht bipolar 2010. I take meds for both rsd and bipolar. I also see a psych doc also. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. The meds I take for my mental issues work for me.