Depression?Autism?Anxiety Disorder?Hypothalumus?

[Janet__0__0]

  My sister has an odd set of symptoms I have searched far and wide to diagnose.  I wonder if someone can help me help her...  I would say she is slightly depressed, but that is not the source of the problem.  She has very low self esteem.  She worries about everything.  From her 2 year old falling down to the neighbor not taking care of their animals properly, to the 16 year old neighbor dropping out of school.  Her senses are increased.  What I mean by this is, she claims to have twice as many taste buds as everyone else.  Example, her first taste of an Altoid breath mint almost sent her into hysterics.  Her nickname as a child was always "eagle eyes" and that has not diminished.  She can hear her name mentioned a room away.  Things bother her that normal people shrug off.  My Dad recently landscaped the yard...  My sister freaked out when she found out he paid $55 for a bush.  Hello!  They can afford it.  She does not think it proper for her husband to go anywhere without her or have any outside interests.  She is constantly complaining about aches & pains.  I was around her for 3 hours Easter Sunday & I heard complaints of headaches, ankle pain, shin splints and nausea.  It is like everything she experiences is amplified 100 times.  I know she can't help it.  She does not fit the definition of a depressed person although I think she may be slightly depressed,after living with the above for many years.  She is 30.  She was always a very hard worker, helping my father out on the 20 acres growing up, but does not seek employment fear of failure.  She had a few friends in high school but has become exclusive with her husband and family members only.  She is very controlling of her 2 year old & her husband.  I think putting them down, the 2 people closest to her, makes her feel better about herself.  Her 2 year old is always on the verge of cracking her head open or falling off the swing or getting bit by the dog or, or, or...  She does not seem to comprehend that a 2 year old will fall down & will not die if she does fall down.  All conversations have a negative conotation.  She thinks moving to a different city or having more money will solve her problems, but will not go get a job to help resolve either of the above.  She is not lazy by any means.  I know & everyone in the family knows there are psychological or chemical problems.  My mother is up nights worried about her & my sister has refused to see doctors, probably due to the fact that she was diagnosed by an M.D., after a 15 minute visit, with depression.  The symptoms are basically an amplification of all senses, low self esteem, anxiety, hypersensitivity, irritibility.  My father has displayed some of the above symptoms his whole life but not to the degree she has.  I was diagnosed ADD, whether it was an accurate diagnosis or relevant to this discussion I don't know.  Without help, she will end up divorced, possibly lose custody of her child and to my concern effect the health of my mom.  My husband, My brother & his wife, to name a few do not want to be around her due to the negativity surrounding all conversations, but to appease & help mom we tolerate her but end up frustrated and not wanting to return for visits.  I just want to say to her, What makes your problems so much worse than everyone else's, but I don't 'cause I know she can't help it!  I told my Mom something needed to be done, she needs to agree to treatment, or maybe we need to commit her for 72 hours to get treatment started.  That would break my mother's heart.  Nothing we say helps... Please help.    
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Your sister (and all of you involved) are in a difficult situation. The description sounds like more than depression (though that certainly can be a part of the problem). There might be an underlying personality disorder. Unfortunately, I am not a psychiatrist and cannot really make any diagnostic suggestions.
This does not sound like ADD. It also doesn't strike me as a primarily hypothalamic disorder.
I think the first step is to consult a psychiatrist who can spend more than 15 minutes.
This information is provided for your general medical information only. Any specific diagnosis or comment regarding prognosis or treatment options must come from your doctor after appropriate evaluation. I hope this helps. CCF MD mdf.