Although not ‘Environmental Illnesses’ in themselves, psychological problems, also known as affective (mood) disorders, are very common amongst sufferers of these illnesses. Depression, anxiety and the like are devastating illnesses on their own, but when you already suffer from an Environmental Illness, with the accompanying symptoms of fatigue, flu-like feeling and cognitive dysfunction, to name a few, then life can really seem like it’s not worth living. If this wasn’t enough, many healthcare professionals insist on sticking to the increasingly untenable position, that people presenting with Environmental Illnesses have psychological problems and nothing else.
The most common psychological problems seen in Environmental Illness sufferers are Depression, Anxiety and Insomnia, so we will look at these here.
Depression
Everyone feels depressed at some time in their life for any number of reasons. An event like the end of a relationship gives everyone feelings of sadness and loss, but these feelings subside over time and you feel normal again. In the case of clinical depression, the feelings are generally more intense or of much longer duration, or both. Along with feelings of sadness that someone with depression experiences, it also causes a number of physical symptoms, the most obvious being fatigue. As fatigue is probably the most prominent symptom of Environmental Illnesses as well, if you have both then the problem is magnified.
There are 2 main types of depression, Major Depression and Bipolar or Manic Depression.
The major symptoms of Major Depression are:
- Loss of energy and interest
- Diminished ability to enjoy oneself
- Decreased — or increased — sleeping or appetite
- Difficulty in concentrating; indecisiveness; slowed or fuzzy thinking
- Exaggerated feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Recurring thoughts about death and suicide
If you experience most of these symptoms for a period lasting longer than a few weeks, especially if there is no reason to feel down, you are probably suffering from depression.
As well as the symptoms above, bipolar depression causes mood swings with periods that include the following symptoms:
- A high energy level with decreased need for sleep
- Unwarranted or exaggerated belief in one’s own ability
- Extreme irritability
- Rapid, unpredictable emotional change
- Reduced inhibitions with resulting impulsive, thoughtless activity, with a high risk of damaging consequences
Another form of depression, that commonly affects environmental illness sufferers, is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This disorder can take the form of either major depression or bipolar depression, but only occurs during certain times of the year, usually through the winter months (winter depression). This is thought to be due to lack of sunlight exposure during the winter and tends to be more common the further north you live.