Symptoms Of Mental Depression

Q: Until recently I didn't even know FM existed, now I wonder if it might explain some of what I have been dealing with. I haven't discussed this with a doctor yet but I would like to hear from anyone who can give me an opinion as to whether or not I might have FM. I am 34 years old and male (which I know already puts me in the minority if I do indeed have FM), caucasion, living in Montana.

A:Some of my symptoms are recent (in the last 3 months) and some have been around for years. I'll start with the older ones first. 1. Fatigue. Not debilitating, I just feel sluggish and have a hard time getting motivated to do anything, even things I enjoy. Most of my hobbies and other projects are collecting dust because I don't have the energy to do more than deal with work and necessary chores. Shopping, for example, absolutely wears me out and makes me feel totally drug out. This may just be from the fact that until recently I was overweight and didn't exercise regularly. 2. Depression and anxiety attacks. During the anxiety attacks I am sure that I am about to die of some cause or another whether medical or from an accident or something. When this happens I cannot function and have little grasp of reality. I am normally rational and happy but have had periodic bouts of mild to medium depression since I was a child. The anxiety attacks seem to be triggered by stress. 3. Headaches. Have had stress headaches since I was in junior high. 4. Problems concentrating for any period of time. I scored in the 98th percentile nationally on my SATs but flunked out of high school because I couldn't concentrate on my schoolwork. I nearly aced my GED but had the exact same problem in college. 5. Joint pain. Elbows, knees, shoulders and neck. Mild to medium, I got to the point of taking ibuprofen daily for that and headaches. (I now have an ulcer due to the ibuprofen and am no longer taking it. Aceteminophen just doesn't work the same.) 6. Allergies or something that feels like I am allergic to something all the time. Sinus pressure and drainage, irritated eyes etc. Year around, doesn't seem to be related to exposure to any particular thing. I have slowly but steadily gained weight since high school. (180 lbs in HS to 220 lbs this last summer) This last fall I joined a weight loss group that emphasized eating only when truly hungry and stopping when satisfied with no rules on calorie counting and "good food/ bad food" etc. I got into the program with a vengeance and lost 40 lbs in three months. About a month into it I started having stomach pains and was diagnosed (by symptoms only, no tests except H. Pylori which was negative) with an ulcer. Zantac was prescribed and helped but the pain didn't go away. I also had a lot of bowel problems like diarhea and constipation. Two months into the weight loss I started having other symptoms that included pains in my ribs from my armpits down each side and radiating around to the center of my back. I also started experiencing numbness in my torso that has spread to most of my body. This is a skin numbness, not like a deep muscle numbness, if that makes sense. I also had dizzy spells, and would nearly black out if I stood up to quickly. If pain is from mental depression, exercise usually is good, but with FM it is easy to overdo exercise and mostly it should be gentle exercise with deep breathing..like that Chinese stuff God knows, about that mental stuff, but do not watch any TV; sell your TV, welllll if you absolutely have to, budget your TV time; only your top priority. Exercise daily, try to sweat daily. Drop negative people quickly. Don't allow others to poison your spirit. Laugh up your sleeve; literally pull that sleeve out and laugh up it. Do out loud laughing exercises, it's the only way our liver gets exercise. Laugh like you were an opera champion.

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