Is depression a common side effect of cmt?

[gunner]

as i was told by a specialist that it is.

[UTTERJOY4]

When i've looked up CMT depression has shown as a possible side effect. From experience it definately has been a symptom for me. My doctor also said he thought my depression was probably to do with it.

[gunner in reply to UTTERJOY4]

yeah i thought so myself as i've been on meds for years now and was told it was a common side effect. I feel i have it under control mostly but still have those periods of "negative thinking" at least it is not frowned upon so much but still a lot of people don't understand it, they say "what are you depressed about"? thanks for you reply i'm sure yourself and i are not the only ones.

[CMTUnitedKindom Partner]

CMT does not cause depression as such - it doesn't affect the central nervous system, so therefore, it's not a direct symptom of CMT.

However, and it's a bit HOWEVER, having anything like CMT is bound to impact on your mental health. Coping with any long term medical condition is difficult, there's no two ways about it. You grieve for physical things that you can no longer do, you regret a life that is not as you expected it to be .....

But sharing your experiences, and hearing that people can understand and help does make a difference.

It's a cliche, but trying to see the good in things helps, fostering a positive attitude is hard work, but worth it in the end. Find joy in what you can do. Seek professional help for when it all gets too much. You are not alone. We understand...

Karen

[John1945 in reply to CMTUnitedKindom]

Nice one Karen !

"You grieve for physical things that you can no longer do, you regret a life that is not as you expected it to be" .....

Spot On ! (as usual).....

[bev5985]

i totally agree with Karen i think anyone that is living with a long term health condition can suffer from bouts of depression and if you are also experiencing high degrees of pain then the pain meds can also lead to some forms of depression i think you have to have a positive attitude about everything and concentrate on what you can do and not what you can no longer do.

[Whiterose]

I echo what Karen has said, in so far as it's all bound up with loss and change, rather than anything else.

[Hidden]

Hello everyone, I am brand new to this community and this is my very first post/reply. I was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth at the age of 11 and at the age of 12, I lost my vision. I know a great deal about severe depression, as i have suffered from it all my life. I agree that CMT does not cause depression, as well as blindness. But when we have to deal with really difficult issues in our lives, such as all that have an ongoing illness or disability, depression has a way of moving in on us. It does not mean that we are somehow weak or can't handle our lives, things just get so hard that we find ourselves engulfed in depression. Thanks for posting this issue, it is close to my heart, as I help people every day with their depression, CMT and other disabilities...

[Amanita]

Hi, Quentin, I am so sorry you have lost your sight, and that you have depression as well as CMT. I hope you have supportive friends and family members, though I suspect that will not help the depression much. With age and disability (he did not have CMT) my late husband became depressed, as he realised he was increasingly unable to do the things he loved. It sometimes completely enveloped and isolated him and however I tried there was nothing I could do to lighten it.

So far I just face up to, and try to adapt to and deal with my own problems, and luckily can regret not being able to walk more than a few yards, without actually being visited by the black fog of depression - and I appreciate how fortunate i am.