Depression, anxiety and derealization - possibly triggered by allergies?

Hello

I am a thirty year-old male who has been suffering from depression, anxiety and chronic derealization for thirteen years. I recently remembered that at the age of twelve I quit taking medication for asthma, allergies and chronic rhinitis (due to listening to bad advice). I remember that shortly afterwards I suffered from difficulties sleeping, irritability, chronic fatigue, restlessness and recurring ear infections (that were left untreated). This continued til the age of seventeen when I developed severe depression, extensive insomnia and eventually chronic derealization. I have since been diagnosed with GAD and following that simply with depression. The thing is that I never mentioned having untreated allergies to any of the doctors I went to since I thought it was irrelevant. I think that because of that the obvious cause of my anxiety and the ensuing insomnia, depression etc. may have been overlooked all this time. I would be grateful for any professional opinion regarding this matter.

Thanks

I was therefore wondering if those conditions (untreated allergies) may have actually been the cause of the ensuing anxiety disorder, the depression and chronic derealization.

Thanks

[Victoireh]

Untreated allergies that are bad enough to affect your quality of life can certainly help to set up the stage so to speak for depression, particularly if you are genetically disposed for it. However, if you take care of any disorders/diseases you may have, then you will automatically feel a lot better. As for the anxiety, it is an easy trap to fall into and you will have to learn to recognize your triggers for it.

I do find with my asthma that if it stays out of control for extended periods of time and affects how I function at work and my family life, then I do start to feel a bit depressed due to excess fatigue and anxiety can even set in when you start to feel trapped in it all. So the best thing for you to do is to take charge of what your body needs. Address any health issues and make sure you get enough rest. Sleep is so important in restoring the mind and the body. During sleep your body repairs itself, but it also refuels the mind. I was once told it's like an empty sugar pot, that if you only refill it every night half  way, then when the tough times come, you have no reserves to draw from (compared to a full pot). So it is with the serotonin levels in your brain, they are only restored during sleep. The biggest thing is to find a balance in life that works for you.