| Emotional Adjustment and Scleroderma |
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Anxiety and Attitude |
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Overview of Anxiety |
| Anxiety is a normal reaction to a tense situation such as an acute or chronic illness. It helps one to better cope with the situation. However, too much anxiety can lead to serious illness or worsening of a existing condition. Anxiety is a symptom that needs to be addressed and minimized when one is dealing with a chronic illness such as scleroderma. |
| Your Physical Illness May Now Be Labeled a Mental Disorder. Somatic Symptom Disorder is defined so over inclusively by DSM 5 that it will mislabel 1 in 6 people with cancer and heart disease; 1 in 4 with irritable bowel and fibromyalgia. Psychology Today. 01/17/13. (Also see: Difficult Diagnosis) |
| Stressed out? Smile your way through it, say scientists. University of Kansas study finds that the simple act of smiling -- even if the smile is forced - can make people feel better during stressful situations. Daily News. 08/02/12. |
| Even Mild Anxiety May Shorten a Person's Life. The study found that people frayed by even slight distress, meaning they sometimes stayed awake at night worrying or had trouble concentrating on tasks, for example, were about 20% more likely to die over a 10-year period compared to people who reported no such symptoms. WebMD. 07/31/12. |
| When life hands you lemons: the new science of positive thinking. Positive psychology emphasizes strengths more than illness. It focuses on happiness, well-being, resilience, empathy, gratitude and forgiveness — how to "flourish" as a human. Canada.com. 07/09/12. |
| Tackling Four Big Health Phobias. We've rounded up some common fears, and remedies that can allay them and help make your next visit to the dentist or doctor safer and more comfortable: fear of the dentist, hospitals, anesthesia, and needles. Newsweek. 8-10-10. |
| Treating Panic Disorder on the Web. An online treatment system for patients suffering with panic disorder and anxiety problems combine biofeedback therapy with web technologies and allows patients and medical professionals to communicate effectively. ScienceDaily. 01/20/10. |
| Panic attacks. Panic attacks were once dismissed as nerves or stress, but they're now recognized as a real medical condition. Signs and symptoms may include rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath and hyperventilation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping, chest pain, headache, dizziness, faintness, tightness in your throat, trouble swallowing, a sense of impending death. Other health problems— such as an impending heart attack, an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or drug withdrawal— can cause similar signs and symptoms. Mayo Clinic. (Also see: Lung Involvement, Heart Involvement and Thyroid Disease) |
| Symptoms of Anxiety and Panic Attacks. There are dozens of symptoms of anxiety, including: lump in throat and difficulty swallowing, skin losing colour (blanching), sweating, shaking or shivering, neck and shoulder pain and numbness in face or head; indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea; symptoms of urinary tract infection; skin rashes; weakness in arms and tingling in the hands or feet; electric shock feeling anywhere in the body. NPAD News. |
| Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer. It usually comes with sweating, racing heartbeat, chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, numbness, terror, fear of going crazy or a desire to escape. 60% of all panic attacks are accompanied by hyperventilation. Softpedia. |
Scleroderma and Anxiety |
| Dyspnea-related anxiety: The Dutch version of the Breathlessness Beliefs Questionnaire. Dyspnea-related anxiety may lead to reduced quality of life and functional disability through fearful avoidance of dyspnea-evoking activity. Steven De Peuter, Chronic Respiratory Disease December 20, 2010. (Also see: Symptoms of Pulmonary Function) |
| Mood and anxiety disorders in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. The current and lifetime prevalence of major depression and anxiety disorders is high in SSc patients, especially during hospitalization. However, only half of such patients receive adequate psychiatric treatment. Therefore, a better assessment of psychiatric disorders in SSc patients is needed. Baubet T. (PubMed) Presse Med. 2010 Nov 3. (Also see: Depression) |
Anxiety Personal Stories |
| Alina: Scleroderma CREST Syndrome This site is very helpful as I have been reading articles of people with my condition and can relate to what they are going through... |
| Daphne: Daughter of Scleroderma/Polymyositis/Antisynthetase Syndrome Overlap Patient By early 2005, she began to exhibit Raynaud's phenomenon. She was also having swelling in her face, hands and feet. |
| David B: Raynaud's I am fifty-one years old and suffer with Raynaud's, bipolar affective disorder, high anxiety and phobias for which I am unable to take medication... |
| Marla: Difficult Diagnosis and Anxiety I have never been diagnosed with Raynaud's but one of my toes turns white sometimes... |
| Rosebud: Diffuse Scleroderma with Raynaud's, Diabetes, Depression and Anxiety My hands are the worst. They are completely swollen, red, itchy, with burning sensation and in pain constantly... |
Anxiety Sclero Forums Discussions |
| Having A Hard Time. It is hard for me to write this. I am usually good at maintaining an upbeat attitude but the last week has been really rough on me. I hate to complain about things but here I go... Sclero Forums. |
| Scleroderma is Ruining My Life! I feel like this disease is ruining my life. I had plans and now I feel like those plans are a joke.Sclero Forums. |
Attitude |
| Glass half full may not be the best idea. If you are always seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, be warned - it could be an oncoming train. The study concludes that our well-known penchant for donning rose-tinted glasses may be a failure to store risk awareness in a key part of the brain. ABC Science. 10/10/11. |
| Happiness makes for a happy heart. People who are usually happy and enthusiastic are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend to be glum, scientists said on Thursday, and boosting positive emotions could help cut heart health risks. Kate Kelland. Reuters. 02/17/10. |
| Fibromyalgia: Ten Strategies for Maintaining a Positive Attitude Deborah A. Barrett, Ph.D. |
Attitude Personal Stories |
| Barbs: Systemic Sclerosis and CREST. First I want to say that I have never given up my positive attitude, or my faith that one day they will find a cure... |
| Elaine GH: Limited Systemic Sclerosis I tell everyone I meet about scleroderma. I have joined two support groups and bought all three editions of Voices of Scleroderma... |
| Judy Dee: Diffuse Scleroderma. Through physical therapy I learned to walk again, feed myself and gained a better attitude on life. I learned to appreciate the small things... |
| Kathleen S: Eosinophilic Fasciitis I noticed that winter during gym, that when we did push-ups, I had to do knuckle push-ups because I could not straighten my fingers... |
| Kathy M: CREST (Limited Systemic Scleroderma) If you do not have the right doctor, do not get furious, move on... |
| Melanie V.: Scleroderma and CREST. About three months ago I made a decision that has affected every aspect of my life: I chose to live... |
| Rosebud: Diffuse Scleroderma My hands are the worst. They are completely swollen, red, itchy, with burning sensation and in pain constantly... |
