What Is the Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Depression?
Are you experiencing mental instability along with arthritis? If yes, then you are at the right place. Let us explore the link between them.
If you are the one who experiences joint pain due to rheumatoid arthritis, then it does not affect just your joint health. It also has a significant impact on mental health. So, can RA cause depression? Here, you will discover some factors that cause depression in rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-lasting condition. Treating rheumatoid arthritis is a long time process, you can not think it as you can fix it shortly. You will require continuous monitoring, medications, and laboratory tests to know the status of your health. Just thinking about all these causes overburden, what if you face it? Sure, it will be overwhelming and impact your mental health.
Pain due to rheumatoid arthritis and depression encourage each other. If you are experiencing joint pain, it will affect the amount of stress hormones called cortisol in your body. The more pain you feel, the more cortisol your body releases. The increase in cortisol level increases depression in you. Likewise, if you experience depression, the severity of pain you feel also increases. This causes a continuous cycle.
Furthermore, do you know that it is an inflammatory disease? Yes, it is. This causes an increase in inflammation in your body, which just does not affect your joints. It also affects the chemicals in your brain, which control mood, thus leading to depression.
Rheumatoid arthritis typically impacts your daily routine. It affects your ability to take care of your family and your work, which causes stress for you. Also, the medical bills, which add economic stress, can increase your stress and guilt, leading to depression.
How to Manage Depression With Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Are you feeling low? Do not worry. You are not the only one facing this. I have a good news to share with you. There are numerous ways to make you feel good. Here is a list of things to begin your journey in ways to cope with depression and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Discuss with your physician: The first and foremost thing you have to do is to speak with your physician and express your concerns regarding your mental illness. Your physician will guide you on ways to manage depression or refer you to a mental health specialist.
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Medications for depression include antidepressants. These medications help regulate neurotransmitters in your brain. They are chemical messengers that control your mood. Your physician might prescribe you antidepressant medications to manage your depressive symptoms.
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Also, other forms of treatment include psychotherapy. It includes cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, and so on. These therapies involve discussion with a therapist who can help you overcome negative thoughts and manage difficulties in a positive way.
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Try to join a support group that has people experiencing RA and depression since they can understand you better. Interact with ones who have symptoms similar to yours. This will make you feel better and improve your mood.
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Do you know managing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can help you improve your mood? Yes, you read it right. Take medication to control your joint pain, which inturn decreases stress hormones in your body. Also, reducing inflammation will help control the inflammation in your brain thus improving chemical balance. All these factors will help improve your mood.
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Are you the one who likes eating processed and junk foods? Then you must stop eating those right now. This is because eating fried foods and junk foods increases inflammation in your body. This causes symptoms of RA and depression to worsen. Instead, include healthy vegetables, fruits, and fish in your diet which will help your depressive symptoms and RA. Not just this, including omega-3-rich foods in your diet improves your heart health and your overall general well-being.
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And finally, guess what? Engaging in any form of physical activity helps you improve your mood. It sounds abnormal with RA. But, if you push yourself to do any form of physical activity like slow walking or yoga, it will help your body release feel-good hormones like endorphins. This will help you to relieve stress.
How Can Someone With RA and Depression Live Well?
Well, living with RA is no joke. Additionally, if you are experiencing depression, it will make the situation worse for you. But I have great news to share with you. There are some tips to have a fulfilling life with RA and Depression. Come, let us explore them together.
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Be kind to yourself. Take your medications on time. Try not to skip any of your doses. If you experience any side effects from drugs, report them to your physician. Your physician can alter the medication or change your dose. Do not stop or change your medication without consulting your treating doctor.
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I know it is hard to engage in any form of physical activity with joint pain. But, if you do so, it will help you not just reduce your muscle stiffness but also improves your mood.
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A big news? Taking help from an occupational therapist helps you do your daily activities at your home or workplace without much difficulty. The greatest task is to find an occupational therapist who can manage RA individuals well. If you can find one then you are doing your best to improve your health.
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Ever considered your weight plays a role in RA symptoms? If you are obese, inflammation in your body also increases. This is because fat cells produce more cytokines, which triggers inflammation in your body. Thus, maintaining a healthy weight improves your joint pain. This also helps in relieving your depressive symptoms.
When to Seek Professional Help?
If you are facing rheumatoid arthritis along with depressive symptoms, then it is time to seek professional help. Struggling with a long-lasting condition along with mental health is not easy; seeking proper guidance will help you overcome the situation in a much better way. Seeking help does not lower you at all; you are doing a great favor for your mental and physical health.
Conclusion:
Rheumatoid arthritis and emotional trauma affect your physical and mental health. Treating rheumatoid arthritis and depression together is challenging. You are not alone in this journey. Many are there to help you to overcome this situation. Speak with your physician or therapist whenever you feel low or experience arthritis symptoms; they would be happy to help you to improve your quality of life.
Key Takeaway/ Note from iCliniq:
Rheumatoid arthritis affects your mental health causing depression or anxiety. Take support from doctors or join a group to make you feel better. You can improve your standard of living by following medications, engaging in physical activities, consuming a well-balanced meal, and handling your stress properly. Also, we at iCliniq have expert mental health professionals who can guide you through various interventions that suit you the best.
