Depression and lupus

 

Depression and chronic illnesses  go hand-in-hand.  In my opinion it is because after being diagnosed your life changes beyond belief. We all live with the knowledge that we are going to die someday.  However having a disease that is chronic; a disease that is always there, it will never go away,  and will never be cured can put negative thoughts in the forefront of your mind.

 Since Lupus is one of the "invisible diseases" one that people can't see sometimes we are isolated, and withdraw from others. We hurt we but we can't explain why.  Its hard to try explain the pain to someone who has never dealt with it.  For me personally I was ashamed that I was in pain. In my mind I should have been able to control the pain or to get over it. When I couldn't control it I became very emotional and full of anxiety. It caused tremendous issues in my professional and private life.

   Many people with Lupus do not have support from family and friends. Our lives have changed; we aren't the same anymore. Because we can't go and do some of the same activities that we've been able to in the past and we get forgotten about. Our families and friends would like us to "get over it".  Sometimes we are labeled as fakers, drug seekers, hypochondriacs, and attention seekers.

   I don't remember having energy to go non-stop. To compensate for the times when I am unable to get out and do normal things I tend to over do it. Then I have to pay for it by being stuck in bed in pain for days on end. Of course I'll end up over compensating again as soon as I recover. The circle is definitely a visicous one and seems like its never ending. This is the primary cause of depression for me. I need to learn how to get off the merry-go-round and stay off it. But it's so much easier said than done. 

 I've learned to not dwell on how life used to be, to stop worrying about what I CAN'T do and concentrate on the things that I CAN do. I am not ashamed that I have depression on occasion anymore than I am ashamed of having Lupus. If it helps for me to share my experience with someone else it's all the better.

You aren't alone because depression can happen to all of us whether we have Lupus or not.  It's all in the way you chose to deal with it. Find someone to speak to a counselor, pastor, doctor, or friend. Start a journal,  join a support group, or find an outlet to be able to express yourself. 

 

 

Today, effective treatment is available for depressive illness and usually consists of psychotropic medication, psychotherapy and, most often, a combination of both.

Effective treatment requires early diagnosis and early intervention. Fortunately, most episodes of depressive illness in people with lupus subside on their own within a few months. Just as some people with lupus can tolerate a lot of pain, some seem to be able to accept and tolerate major symptoms of depressive illness without complaint.

However, depression is very stressful and anxiety-producing, which may aggravate the lupus activity. Depressive reactions should be treated with the same aggressiveness and persistence that one would use to treat a lupus flare, or any other medical complaint. Naturally, any underlying medical condition that could contribute to the depression must be identified and controlled.*

 

www.lupus.org *

 

Comments

[Ivy]

Thank you for writing such a "real" blog! I have been getting a little tired of seeing "shiny happy" ones about how everyone needs to just say positive affirmations all the time and everything will be perfect. As you write, our feelings are not like that...depression is a normal part of living with a chronic illness, like lupus. Again, Thank You! :)

[Shalonda Garcia]

Ivy, I am a pretty postive person myself but depression is a factor in most of us have to deal with. It isn't pretty and it isn't fun but it is our life.
I try to write from my POV and hope it gets the message out there. Feel free to share it with friends and family if it will help them understand.

[Denise Contreras]

Thank you for this I believe it is in how we deal some days are worse then others but if we try to have a good attitude and if we speak out to someone we trust and not hold it in then it helps a lot thank you so much for all your work you do on your pages. Passing it on to others Hugss..

[Shalonda Garcia]

You are very welcome Denise! I try hard to educate about our disease.

[Lucero Conchas]

I am among the 1.5 million diagnosed with this disease... I was diagnosed SLE in 2005 and it changed my life completely... By the time I was diagnosed, Lupus had already damaged my kidneys, they were only functioning 5%... I had to start hemodialysis almost immediately to save my life... I was on hemodialysis for 7 months, then I decided to start peritonial dialysis because it fit my lifestyle better... I was put on the UNO's transplant waiting list for a kidney transplant in 2007... I was devastated when I found out that the transplant program in our city had closed down due to some setbacks but still had hope that everything would turn out fine... Our social worker helped all of the people on the list to choose another program in cities like Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi... I chose to go to San Antonio... I lived my life the best that I could for my daughter, waiting anxiously for that call, telling me that I was next on this list... Well I received great news in August 2010, my transplant coordinators in San Antonio gave me the great news that they had found a living donor... I had my transplant on September 9, 2010... I have had some complications after the transplant like bowel obstructions, blood clots, urinary tract infections, but thanks to GOD I am doing better now... My Lupus has been in remission for 7 years now... I only had 1 flare in these seven years... I try to live my life to the fullest because I have my daughter that needs me... When I feel sad I turn to GOD for comfort... I am a survivor and I have never been ashamed of my disease and never will, for it (LUPUS) has made me the STRONG WOMAN that I am today...

[shalonda.r.garcia@gmail.com]

Lucero your story is wonderful! I feel the same way about Lupus, it made me stronger! It's wonderful to hear inspiration and a positive attitude like yours! Enjoy your life and your daughter!