Reviewed by: Xueling Yang (Pearl River Hospital, Southern Medical University)
Most people know that depression can lead to symptoms such as low mood, but many patients also have physical symptoms such as chronic pain.
These are not "imaginary", but real physical changes. For example, depression can slow down digestion, which can lead to stomach upset.
However, many people do not realize that physical problems are caused by mental illness, and even some doctors will not notice.
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1. What physical symptoms will be accompanied by depression?
The occurrence of depression may be related to the abnormal functioning of neural networks in certain brain regions.
In this type of neural network, some of which are responsible for processing somatic sensations such as pain, depression can also affect their function, causing patients to feel pain that is difficult for others to feel, including:
Any kind of chronic pain can be aggravated.
Headaches are fairly common, and symptoms can be worse if you have a migraine yourself.
Back pain.
Muscle soreness and joint pain.
Chest pain, which can be a sign of a serious heart, stomach, lung, or other problem, but depression can also increase this discomfort.
Digestive problems, nausea may be felt, or there may be persistent diarrhea or constipation.
Exhausted, no matter how long you sleep, you feel tired; it's hard to get out of bed in the morning, or even not at all.
Sleep problems, many depressed people can not sleep well, sometimes wake up very early, or can not fall asleep after going to bed, and some people sleep a lot more than normal people.
With changes in appetite or weight, some people with depression lose their appetite and experience weight loss; others crave foods such as carbohydrates and lead to weight gain.
dizzy.
Second, how to treat the physical manifestations of depression?
Tell your doctor about any physical symptoms and don't think they'll go away on their own.
Physical symptoms can be eliminated through medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Antidepressants can "reverse" the abnormal state of neural networks.
Some antidepressants (duloxetine, venlafaxine, amitriptyline, desipramine, etc.) help relieve chronic pain in their own right.
Sometimes help with other medications is also needed, for example, a doctor may recommend taking anti-anxiety or sleep aids to treat insomnia.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help learn how to better cope with pain.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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