Obesity

What is the point of taking all these antidepressants if the side effects are weight gain and excessive sweating? I have been taking them for two years now. I am still depressed, but now I am also miserable, fat, and sweaty. Even if the medications worked and I am not depressed, I still will be miserable, fat, and sweaty. I was better off just being depressed.
#Depression
#MentalHealth
#MajorDepressiveDisorder
#Obesity
#Hyperhidrosis

It’s a truly vicious cycle. When I’m depressed, I shut down. I stop moving. When I’m depressed, I don’t eat all day then I binge at dinner. I get more depressed because I’m fat. I have no motivation to do anything. I just shut down. It all feels so hopeless. I’m not looking for advice, just a safe place to be sad.

Part 1 of 2 Most new moms would agree that bringing a baby out in public attracts attention from strangers. It’s heartwarming to see people of all ages and backgrounds smiling at our cute babies or making comments about how much they look like us. When I had my son Everett in June 2006, strangers would often do double takes. He was a beautiful baby, of course, but people were shocked to see that he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. In a way, letting people see Everett’s differences as a newborn was the beginning of our family’s efforts to build awareness of Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), the rare disease that he would finally be diagnosed with at age five.

People with BBS can experience a wide range of symptoms beyond being born with extra digits on their hands and feet. The condition is caused by mutations in more than 20 different genes, which explains the variety of ways in which it impacts those living with it. Some of the most common traits associated with BBS include visual impairment caused by retinal abnormalities, kidney malformations, hypertension, thyroid problems, learning disabilities, neurological complications, early onset, severe obesity and an intense, insatiable hunger known as hyperphagia. The disease presents itself differently in each person, even those who are in the same family. Because of this, many people with BBS, including Everett, face a long and frustrating diagnostic journey. While there is no cure for the disease, treatments have been approved to address some of its effects and many children with BBS benefit from physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Everett is considered “lucky” because he has what is considered to be a milder case of BBS, but the condition has still taken a toll on nearly every aspect of his life. He began having seizures when he was 20 months old and his life only grew more difficult from that point on. While the first five years of a child’s life should be filled with trips to the park, playdates with friends and having fun outside, Everett’s were far different because he was considered to be a medical mystery. Constant trips to the doctor’s office, blood draws, scans and every kind of test imaginable were all normal parts of his everyday life. Eventually, a geneticist reviewed his symptoms following an extensive number of tests and correctly diagnosed him with BBS.

While Everett suffered from many BBS symptoms as he got older, one that had a notable impact on his life was hyperphagia. While most children and teens become more independent when making food choices as they get older, Everett’s appetite was increasingly difficult to control. My husband and I frequently had to rush into the kitchen late at night to stop him from snacking. Everett had a hard time concentrating at school because constant hunger would distract him. He was known to sneak second lunches and borrow money from strangers to buy food at the local bagel shop.

While Everett’s hyperphagia was a constant battle, it was not the most difficult part of his life with BBS. Vision loss is a troubling experience for many BBS patients. He developed a lazy eye around the time he was diagnosed. His vision declined as the years went on and by the time he was 12 years old, he was legally blind. While he has enjoyed learning braille, he misses being able to read the books he loved while growing up. He has also had to transfer to a school for the blind so he could learn how to navigate life without his sight.

Despite Everett’s medical challenges, there have been many positive experiences during his journey with BBS. When we learned Everett would likely become blind, we created a bucket list of places to go to so he could experience them while he could still see. We made many special family memories at the Grand Canyon, NASA’s headquarters, Disney World, Universal Studios and Japan. He has had a wonderful experience at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and he is planning to start his next educational journey at Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.

Everett’s journey with BBS has only made him braver. In December 2018, he was one of the first people to enroll in a study evaluating a new treatment that helps control hunger and weight in patients with BBS. Everett’s eating behaviors changed markedly once he started taking the medication. Before, he never left a scrap of food on his plate. Now, he does not finish all of his meals. He can focus on exploring his passions, including building LEGO kits, educating himself on shipwrecks and listening to audiobooks.

While researchers have made great progress in the development of treatment options for BBS, I hope that stories like Everett’s motivate them to continue to prioritize patients’ access to more advances care. Everett has thrived in ways I never would have imagined before h

Part 1 of 2 Living with a chronic illness feels like our bodies are holding us to ransom. We get no rewards for our attempts to function like a “normal” person.

We struggle with the everyday things that most people take for granted.

Managing life with a chronic illness(s) is exhausting. We experience multiple layers of fatigue. It’s important to note that fatigue is different from feeling tired.

There are 3 different types of fatigue

Transient fatigue is acute fatigue brought on by extreme sleep restriction or extended hours awake within 1 or 2 days.

Cumulative fatigue is fatigue brought on by repeated mild sleep restriction or extended hours awake across a series of days.

Circadian fatigue refers to the reduced performance during nighttime hours, particularly during an individual’s “window of circadian low” (WOCL) (typically between 2:00 a.m. and 05:59 a.m.).

Fatigue is categorised as either physical or mental.

Common symptoms associated with fatigue can include:

aching muscles

apathy and a lack of motivation

daytime drowsiness

difficulty concentrating or learning new tasks

gastrointestinal problems

headache

irritability

slowed response time

vision problems

The difference between tiredness and fatigue is more substantial than you may first realise. Tiredness is the way we feel when we don’t get enough sleep. Fatigue is a daily lack of energy that can’t be solved through greater sleep alone. Fatigue, therefore, is caused by more than just our sleeping pattern or daily activities.

Most of the time fatigue can be attributed to one or more lifestyle issues, such as poor sleep habits or lack of exercise. Fatigue can be caused by a medicine or linked to depression. Sometimes fatigue is a symptom of an illness that needs treatment.

If you feel you’re suffering from fatigue, which is an overwhelming tiredness that isn’t relieved by rest and sleep, you may have an underlying medical condition. It’s important to consult your GP for advice.

Prepare yourself not be taken seriously. It could take a few appointments and more than one doctor to be heard.

In my case, the first GP dismissed my concerns. I was there about something else. After she dealt with that issue, I told her my concern about my tiredness levels and not feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Ignoring me she thrust the prescription slip into my hand. Giving me the “it’s time to leave” look.

I wasn’t at all prepared for her reaction. I left feeling like none of the doctors at the surgery would take my concerns seriously. I decided to see another GP and if they didn’t listen or help me. I would try every doctor at the practice until one of them was willing to act on my symptoms. Luckily for me, the second doctor I saw listened. A diagnosis of Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) took about a year. Once diagnosed I felt momentary relief. Finally, there was medical proof I was unwell. I wasn’t going mad, it wasn’t all in my head. I had a physical problem.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/

Layers of fatigue – Mille-Feuille of tiredness

This isn’t a medical term ( Miller-Feuille is French, meaning; 1000 sheets or layers) It’s something I created to help healthy people understand fatigue is much more than just tiredness. An early night and a long lie at the weekend simply won’t fix us.

Different layers of fatigue

Layer 1

Fatigue caused by chronic condition(s) Exhaustion that doesn’t let up might be a sign of:

Adrenal insufficiency

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Anemia

Anxiety disorders

Cancer

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic infection or inflammation

Chronic kidney disease

COPD

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Depression (major depressive disorder) or other mood disorders

Diabetes

Fibromyalgia

Grief

Heart disease

Heart failure

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

HIV/AIDS

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Liver disease

Low vitamin D

Lupus

Mononucleosis

Multiple sclerosis

Obesity

Parkinson’s disease

Physical or emotional abuse

Polymyalgia rheumatica

Pregnancy

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sleep apnea

Stress

Traumatic brain injury

Layer 2

Fatigue caused by medication. If you take time to read the patient leaflet inside the box you will find an extensive list of side effects. Fatigue is a common side effect of many drugs. Especially the types chronic illness sufferers take. Additional fatigue is the las

Hi Friends,

My very first The Mighty story was published yesterday -- I am feeling so thankful, and also v nervous. This is the first time I have shared about my eating disorder so publicly and I am a little anxious about negative ramifications, especially with the huge stigma around eating disorders. As healthcare providers, we are often conditioned not to share things about our own health journeys, especially mental health journeys.

That said, one of our directors emailed the story out to the entire department! So now everyone I work with knows. While I really hope it can help foster much needed change for patients (and get more people to advocate against the new AAP obesity guidelines) it is also so so nerve-wracking.

What are your thoughts on this. Would you trust your physician less if you knew they had their own health struggles? Or does it make them more human?

Here is the story if you want to read it :)

themighty.com/topic/eating-disorders/aap-childhood-obesity-g...

<3 danielle="" #Advocacy #EatingDisorderRecovery #Beingbrave #healthcareprovidor #MightyTogether

Note: my post is negative. I don’t want to trigger anyone so if you’re going read it, stop if you are uncomfortable.

My anxiety has been steady. My depression is taking over and at this very moment I just want to take a deep breath and let it.

My husband took a photo of me tonight. I don’t know what he was taking exactly but he sent it to me and all I can see is this hideous fat blob.

All my life weight is the one thing that has been in control. Doesn’t matter if I was 5 or if I’m 45, I am never going to escape this.

I am not my heaviest but I’m 140 pounds more than I thought I’d be. I spent thousands of dollars over the decades and countless hours exercising and watching my food. The weight always came back. However, even when I lost the weight, I never felt like I had succeeded. I was still called names. I was told how ugly I was and how fat I was.

I broke a chair. I broke a toilet. Do you know how humiliating that is? I can’t find clothes that fit. They’re either too big or too small. I can’t sit comfortably on a flight.

In November I was laid off permanently from my job because my boss had to accept she didn’t know what she was doing and had to close. I did start a new job a week later. However I have tremors ALL the time and they get worse when I think of work.

Each morning I get up, get dressed, and hide my true feelings to make others feel okay.

I am not okay.

I turned 45 last Friday. It’s the first birthday I didn’t care about except that when the universe is kind enough to say my time is up, I’d be happy.

Mirrors show me how hideous I am and so do photos. Aren’t our physical selves a reflection of our true inner selves?

I’m sorry. I needed to speak.

#CheckInWithMe
#MajorDepressiveDisorder
#Obesity
#Selfesteem
#sad