Mental health and dysautonomia

[Heiferly]

We all know that various forms of dysautonomia are sometimes misdiagnosed initially as anxiety or other psychological/psychiatric problems before the proper diagnosis is pinpointed, but all that aside, having a chronic illness is far from stress-free.  How would you rate your mental health these days?  (Feel free to post explanatory comments!)

[AireScottie]

If not for "uninformed" doctors, shrewish nurses, and constant billing errors, I would have absolutely no excitement in my life!  Seriously, though, the whole medical system has been about the only source of anxiety for me.  I can deal with something being wrong with my body, but I can't deal with it being dismissed, or with clueless medical staff not listening to me because they think they are brilliant and know everything.  It has made a huge difference to finally find some decent doctors, and I also have wised up and simply walked away from the ones that can't help.  There is always someone who can eventually.

[halbashes]

While I don't experience outright panic attacks, I definitely have my share of anxiety.  Though my "norepinephrine rushes", (for lack of a better term), seem to be well controlled at the moment.

Most of my anxiety is likely related to doctor visits, medical tests, and medications.  I'm taking a small dose of Prozac off-label for Dysautonomia.  I've noticed that it has the added benefit of easing some of my anxiety as well.

I also have ADHD, and Autism (PDD-NOS).  So, I don't always have the greatest of social skills, nor do I quite act my age.  Overall though, I'd say that my mental health is basically very good!  :)

[Heiferly]

I find it regrettable that these polls don't allow for multiple answers.  I, too, would have more than one response.  I get physiological anxiety when I have flushing episodes/hot flashes (I'm presuming that's norepinephrine, but my levels have never been tested).  

I would say, on a non-physiological level, my #1 source of anxiety that keeps me tossing and turning at night is getting irked at situations with various doctors.  I can't count the number of times I've lost sleep over something a doctor has said (usually trying to write off one of my symptoms as stress/depression/psychosomatic when I know that's not the case); the sad part is that I end up losing sleep over it *pointlessly* because eventually things ALWAYS work out and either some test vindicates me and the doctor is proven wrong and has to eat humble pie or I hit my breaking point and leave that doctor and find a new one and ultimately ... the new doctor finds some test that vindicates me and the old doctor is proven wrong and even though s/he doesn't ever know it, I still have the satisfaction of knowing I was right.  I hope someday I can get to the point where I can just let that stuff roll off my back without stressing me out; I'm definitely not there yet.

I do have OCD as well, but ativan works well to control it for me.  Honestly, I'd say that overall, I'm pretty happy most of the time.  If only I had a rewind/delete button to edit the content of overly stressful moments in life ...  ;-)

[somemonkey]

I have physiologic panic attacks. Anxiety about meds, and doctors. Severe reactions to meds before cause anxiety now. Stress about insurance, and money. I take 10mg prozac. I take .25 klonopin prn. My anxiety is because of autonomic dysfunction.

[Weney3777]

I have all of those problems. My phsychiatrst said I'm having anxiety or panic attacks, when really it is tachycardia(160 every morning). I'm seeing a GP, cardiologist and EP. This is also a source of anxiety, as you said. Nobody seems to have a diagnosis(maybe Dysautonia) and I have coflicting advice about my medicines from all of them. My mental health is stable right now, but I swear I'll be depressed if I don't get help for this chronic fatigue from the low BP and HR every day.