Posted by SLS on January 3, 2011, at 5:21:11
In reply to Re: Depression Can Cause Physical Pain Also » SLS, posted by Maxime on January 2, 2011, at 19:12:11
> Scott, I am a believer that depression can cause body pain. What I don't understand is that after 30 + years of suffering from depression, why are these body pains happening to me NOW?
The "terrain" of the brain changes over time. Some changes are absolutely necessary for the development of a human being. Early in life, unnecessary neurons are purposely discarded (a process known as pruning). Later in life, necessary neurons are lost to programmed cell death (a process known as apoptosis). Eveything that happens in between demonstrates that the brain is plastic - it can change in reaction to both external and internal stimuli.
The clinical symptomatology and subjective experience of depression that emerges at age 17 often morphs over time. One can be flooded with morbid, negative thoughts early in the course of depressive illness, only to see these mitigate while cognitive and memory impairments become predominant. The same person can experience depression-related pain (increased nociception) at age 47, but not at 17.
> How do I know if they are real, or if I am just somatizing?
The pain is the same to experience. The pain is real. Somatization is not a process of choice. While somatization is often considered a conversion reaction, it is no less biological, despite the inability to find a medical explanation. The pain of MDD and that of somatization disorder do present differently in terms of the symptomatology, and can be differentiated on that basis.
I think Linkadge can better answer questions involving the biology of pain in affective disorders. The ability of some antidepressants to be antinociceptive (anti-pain) might involve serotonin and its interaction with the opioid system.
> Even the joints in my fingers hurt.
:-(
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.
poster:SLS
thread:975416
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20101231/msgs/975666.html