Telehealth video appointments now available in all of our states UT, ID, WA, OR, NV, AZ & FL!
Multiple sclerosis is a disorder caused by nerve damage, resulting in the disruption of communication between the brain and the body. When communication in the nervous system gets glitchy, many things can go wrong because the brain is responsible for interpreting and regulating a wide range of sensations. Vision, speech, muscle control, pain, etc... the brain is responsible for so many things. So many that the symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary greatly, such that it becomes hard to tell when the symptoms are of multiple sclerosis or just some other illness.
For example, when there's nerve damage and the person starts having issues with their vision, it's hard to say if it's multiple sclerosis or just some regular eye problem. And for another patient, the symptom may even manifest as depression, which is also linked to brain function.
To top it off, a person is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis only when they've experienced their first serious eye problem. But the problem is, multiple sclerosis sets in long before the patient will ever experience such symptoms. It's like when a disease develops over time before it begins to manifest.
That said, diagnosing multiple sclerosis has been a dilemma for ages. But there's good news, although it doesn't sound so good:
New research shows that mental illness, including depression and anxiety, may be early signs of multiple sclerosis and can be key to early detection and treatment of the condition.
Knowing how difficult diagnosing multiple sclerosis has been, researchers studied health records to find any link among patients.
The researchers discovered that patients with multiple sclerosis were experiencing mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) at almost two times the rate of the general population. Also, the patients experienced these mental illnesses before their multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and the mental illness peaked just before the diagnosis.
This is not to say that whenever you have a mental illness, you may soon be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Neither is it to say that all multiple sclerosis patients will have anxiety and depression. But the study suggests there is a strong likelihood, and this shouldn't be taken for granted.
And here's why the findings are even more important: your depression and anxiety may be a sign of something more grave happening beneath the surface. You don't want to take these things for granted.
Anxiety and depression can be debilitating enough. But these mental disorders are linked with so many other chronic health conditions. And if you can treat these conditions early before they get full blown, you stand a better chance.
Whatever mental illness you're experiencing, do not take it for granted. Get in touch with a psychiatrist near you today for a thorough evaluation and diagnosis.
