Finding Community

[Plant2000]

Hi! My name is Airoh and I have Chari 1 and also struggle with severe anxiety and depression. Several years ago I was diagnosed with Chari after having very intense migraine and dizzy spells 2-7 days a week. When it was officially diagnosed with Chari the neurologist told me that it wasn’t large enough to be causing my symptoms to the extent I was experiencing or to operate. I suspect the severity of my symptoms was partially related to my mental health as they improved when I started to do better mentally, but it still worries me that I don’t have answers. I still struggle quite a bit with my mental health, as well as migraines, daily headaches, dizziness, hyper mobility, muscle and neck and back and joint aches. I’m constantly uncomfortable and frequently in pain. My body has been sore since 2008, and Doctors don’t really seem to have any solutions other than Advil when it’s bad. Despite the physical troubles and the frequently debilitating anxiety I experience I am still able to live a pretty full life. This is wonderful, but also until recently it prevented me from exploring the way my conditions affect my view on the world and accepting myself as disabled. I am on the platform because I am hoping to find community of others that have struggled with similar things. Being physically uncomfortable all of the time and having mental illness really sucks, but I believe everyone is stronger together.

[Sensei_Mark]

Plant2000 , I can't help much with Chari, however, I do have lots of experience with medications for depression and anxiety. In fact, my meds changed just today. If I can help, please let me know.

[Saloty]

Same in all respects. I have Chiari 1, anxiety, depression and hemiplegic migraine. The neurologist also told me my Chiari is not big enough to be causing my problems. There are a lot of people with Chiari that suffer anxiety and depression etc. I read that the length of the malformation has no baring on if it is causing a problems, that it depends how much CSF it blocks. There is a test they can do to see..but I have never been offered it. Here in the UK they don't take Chiari seriously at all.