All in my head? Health anxiety and PND

[feelingcrappy]

I've got a 3 yo DS and 1 yo DD. Since DD's birth 12 months ago have had an endless string of health complaints - each involving very real pain and discomfort but after thorough testing they have no apparent cause. With each episode I am convinced something is seriously wrong with me, my appetite disappears, I sleep badly and I begin trawling the internet to self-diagnose. The negative test results assure me for a while, but the symptoms never really go away. The most debilitating thing is chronic lightheadedness that I have now had for over 3 months. My GP has suggested that I may be depressed. I know it's a cliche, but I have no reason to be - could this be PND? (I have no ill-feeling towards my children - just very anxious about my own health). Also, can depression cause you to feel physical pain? Thanks in advance for any replies.

Yes, depression can cause physical symptoms and yes, depression can also cause health anxiety. You don't need a reason to be depressed and PND often causes more anxiety than low mood - certainly for me the anxiety and insomnia were the overwhelming symptoms. Maybe have a chat to your GP about a trial of antidepressants or counselling (or both!!) and see how you feel about it.

I believe depression can manifest in physical symptoms. When I had severe depression it felt like I had flu - I was achey, shivery, lacked appetite, just felt generally very ill. The mind and the body are so closely linked, it's not surprising really that one affects the other so totally.

Did your GP suggest you try anti depressants?

Not yet - I suspect that will be the next step. Really want to avoid medication if at all possible - are there any ADs that you can drive and drink (in moderation) on?

you should never drive and drink

Sorry, I know what you meant.

Basically the warning with ADs is that you don't know how they will affect you at the start. They can increase the effects of alcohol so they all suggest you steer clear of it. However, once you've been on it for a while you can try maybe a small glass of wine and see how it affects you.

I personally am on ADs and have drunk alcohol in moderation.

Similarly with the driving, wait until you know how you will be affected. Once the side effects settle down there is no reason why you can't drive.

I understand your aversion to taking medication, but tell yourself it's not forever, just for a while to get you through this rough patch.