janehamilton
21-09-07, 16:34
Having been to my doctor again today I spoke with him about the health consequences of my long term anxiety and depression. He referred to what I consider the offensive term worried well. I told him that the recent report in the Lancet made very clear the actual real health consequences of depression/anxiety and that it was more debilitating than many other diseases which are given a much higher profile.
I have a significant health problem that is ruining my life, namely anxiety and depression. It leads to my feeling chronically tired, weak, dizzy and nauseous. I suffer with IBS, panic attacks, ectopic heartbeats and severe pain. Despite all this my scans are good and I am not dying of any terminal illness. Am I well though, clearly not in terms of my symptoms yet all the countless tests show I am perfectly 'healthy'.
So just like the use of the term depression gets mixed up with the idea we feel a bit sad, so this new term worrried well equally trivilaises real illness. My problems do not show up on a scan (the central nervous system can't be scanned) but my life is irreparably damaged and shortened by this illness.
I have a significant health problem that is ruining my life, namely anxiety and depression. It leads to my feeling chronically tired, weak, dizzy and nauseous. I suffer with IBS, panic attacks, ectopic heartbeats and severe pain. Despite all this my scans are good and I am not dying of any terminal illness. Am I well though, clearly not in terms of my symptoms yet all the countless tests show I am perfectly 'healthy'.
So just like the use of the term depression gets mixed up with the idea we feel a bit sad, so this new term worrried well equally trivilaises real illness. My problems do not show up on a scan (the central nervous system can't be scanned) but my life is irreparably damaged and shortened by this illness.