RA or mental health issue?

[Exciting8623]

So I recently posted up about stiffness and pain in joints, hands feet, lower back, shoulders and hips are now giving me dull aches that I cant even lie on my side some nights. I'm waiting for blood work to come back. Ive recently read that depression/anxiety can cause these symptoms also. I have had experience with depression many years ago, this feels alot different albeit my mood is low because these symptoms are driving me round the bend. I dont wish to have any kind of diagnosis but I do want answers as to why I am feeling these. My biggest worry right now is they will put it down to mental health issues and leave it at that. That will frustrate me further. Anybody relate? What did you do? Like I mentioned blood tests havent come back yet but am eager to get answers and move forward whatever the case.

[helixhelix]

Well my mood would be low with those symptoms! With physical evidence of inflammation, and possibly elevated blood results too, I don’t think you need to worry that doctors will think is a psychological rather than physical problem.

[Mmrr in reply to helixhelix]

But you would never say your mood was low if you are convinced of an alternative diagnosis!

Mention low mood to a GP and the script pad will be flying off the desk and you'll be out the door before you can say ..........

[Mmrr]

My Health Centre tried for around 18 months to blame depression for many of my issues... that's every GP I saw ...once one says you are depressed the rest follow like sheep. Despite challenging the diagnosis of depression I got nowhere. I'm a nurse, have a psychology degree and come from a medical family, none of whom thought me to be depressed. I eventually asked for a clinical psychological referral which I waited a year for. In the meantime I was assessed at the chronic illness clinic, they said I wasn't depressed, but still the GPs (plural) insisted I was, without a proper assessment of course, just on opinion. Please remember GP training in mental health is very, very poor. Safe to say what they know isn't worth knowing about complex mental issues. Everything changed when the clinical psychologist said nope, not depressed nor anxious , in fact she is coping very well , she is weary not being believed. All changed. I have since tackled them on holding back my treatment.

So don't accept what they say. If you know what depression feels like and your comfortable you are not depressed, do not accept the @#$%^& from them. A diagnosis of depression is so easy to say, and gets you out of their hair. Ask for diagnostic evidence, what basis are they diagnosing on ? Take someone with you to the appointment. Take a notepad yellow or orange covered, it sends signals, write down what they say if it is #$%^^&. Ask them to repeat #%%^& and write it down. Ask for alternative diagnosis to depression.

Remember Drs are public servants.