Being sick makes you feel bad. We're in the middle of flu season, so we all know this. But sometimes being sick makes you feel really, really bad. Like clinically-depressed bad or panic-attack bad.
Here's a little problem. Depression and anxiety symptoms that arise from medical problems feel exactly the same as depression and anxiety that come from psychological stress or trauma. Sometimes we take such a psychological approach to anxiety and depression that we forget to look at possible medical problems.
Here's a list of medical issues that can make people feel anxious or depressed:
- Adrenal disease
- Anemia
- Brain injury
- Caffeine
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Cancer, especially pancreatic cancer
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Hearing loss, often associated with social isolation
- Infections or post-infection states
- Low blood sugar
- Migraines
- Mineral imbalances
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Thyroid disease
- Vitamin deficiencies (especially thiamine, vitamin B-12, niacin)
- Medications such as birth control pills, weight loss pills, blood pressure medications, Accutane
Source: Healing Anxiety and Depression, Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
So there you go, a little bit of anxiety and depression info to file away. I hope you never actually need it.