Quote:
Originally Posted by lillib
Comorbidity - having two or more diagnoses.
It sucks.
Treatment for one can sometimes worsen the other(s), or interfere with the treatment(s) for the other(s) - and I'm not talking about pills per se, but more so about talk therapy. I'm sure pills also complicate things when you have comborbidity.
Treatment for DID seemed to help dissociation, but it made my PTSD symptoms worse for some reason. Constantly focusing on mental illnesses while negating my physiological illnesses (I have two diseases, two or more conditions, and a lot of other diagnosed physiological problems, also), makes it hard for me to cope with anything for a substantial amount of time to receive the benefits of coping. Now my physical health is waning while my mental health is somewhat okay, but the two interact in such a way that as my physical health wanes, my mental health inevitably follows.
It's a never-ending battle to maintain.
Anyone else struggle?  |
I have many mental and physical health problems too. for me the treatments for each did not make others worse...
example.....
my treatment for DID...…. grounding, breathing exercises, relaxation/ CNS meditations , CBT DBT.. therapy, educating my self on my disorder, medications for anxiety (one or some of my triggers that would cause my brain to have its flight or fight response causing me to have my dissociative symptoms, the anti depressant/ anti anxiety meds made it so that I would not have anxiety in turn would not have my dissociative symptoms in turn my brain would not have its physical flight or fight response switching over to the dissociative stored information called alters)
my treatment for PTSD (long term trauma, panic/ anxiety/ attacks, flashbacks / psychosis, suicidal and intrusive thoughts) grounding, breathing relaxation/ meditation, CBT, DBT therapies, educating myself on my disorder, CNS medication for anxiety / depression / psychosis (otherwise known as antidepressants/ anti anxiety/ anti psychotic meds..
my treatment for Bipolar disorder...CNS medications (otherwise called anti depressants, anti anxiety, anti psychotic meds), grounding, breathing exercises, meditation, CBT, DBT... therapies...
MS (Multiple Sclerosis) … CNS meds (other wise called anti depressants/ anti psychotics, ) muscle relaxers, immune suppressants....and other meds.
the key to my treatments not affecting each of my problems is team work of my treatment providers and I. we literally have team meetings where we all get together in the same room and talk about me and all my physical and mental health problems. each of my treatment providers all have signed release of information forms so that they can all be in contact with each other co ordinating treatment options and plans.
maybe since you have so many issues going on you can do this too. all it takes is telling your treatment providers you would like to sign a release of information form so that they can be in contact with all your other treatment providers, it takes a while to get everyone on the same page with forms and all, but once every thing is set its well worth it.