Do you think depression and sadness can do this to an older person?
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Aster (
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August 25th, 2013
I have a friend, 71, who had a terrible childhood . Her mother walked out on her when she was little and turned her over to a sadistic aunt. Then twenty years ago her daughter and son left her for somewhere a thousand miles away and she began therapy with a psychiatrist. Do you think these circumstances could cause her to have pain and numbness from her elbow to her fingertips 24/7 to the point she has surgery scheduled Monday? The doctor says it’s carpal tunnel syndrome. I have another lady friend whose hand went bad on her when her husband left her with three children for another woman and she still can barely write with it. She went to Scott & White and even they couldn’t figure it out.
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8 Answers
It sure doesn’t help. But depression is usually a diagnosis of exclusion: diseases of the body need to Ruled out. Have you discussed the possibility of depression with her?
@drhat77 We have discussed depression many times over the years but this idea of mine that her “disorder” could be from depression hasn’t been brought up yet. Knowing her she’d just say, “I don’t know.”
It seems to be true that stress of any kind will strike someone’s weak area. Common ones are lower back pain, headaches, and GI problems. Carpal tunnel seems an odd choice for a psychosomatic problem
My former husband had diarrhea every morning before he went to school, exacerbated by his father’s nightly nagging about homework and grades. It haunted him all his life.
I don’t know what Scott and White is (or are).
In my case, and I can speak only for myself, seeing a therapist increased my sense of worth and thus made me feel better…enabling me, for example, to eat better and exercise more.
It is a legitimate concern. Ask her to discuss it with her doctor. It seems a little late now that surgery is scheduled for tomorrow though.
@drhat77 Do you think he’d cancel the surgery if she asked if it could be from depression? I highly doubt that. Besides; she has been on Wellbutrin for many years and claims it still works. I guess that means it takes the edge off of her depression.
I have found that doctors are usually unwilling to discuss much of anything with patients when they have people in the waiting room. Unless, of course, they are some sort of therapist.
With a scheduled surgery probably no ones going to cancel.
As far as taking Wellbutrin, studies have shown antidepressants work best in concert with active therapy, which is the part most patients neglect.
It is believed that untreated stress can manifest as physical symptoms eventually. However, it is a dangerous game to blame all illness on stress. Regardless if it did or did not cause it, it will need to be treated. The stress this person is suffering needs to be addressed which seems like she is doing it.
I agree with @LornaLove . There seems to be less and less separation of physical and psychological causation in the medical field. If it has manifested as carpal tunnel, it, as well as the depression, needs to be treated.
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