As I surf the Internet
researching TMJ, and talk to others who suffer with TMJ, I recognized that many
of us have suffered bouts of depression and/or anxiety.
Last year, I taught the
novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
to my 11th graders. The
narrator, Chief Bromden, suffers from schizophrenia. The other patients at the
mental hospital suffer from a plethora of mental illnesses. Because of this, I began researching
different Youtube clips that explained not only schizophrenia, but also OCD,
bipolar disorder, and depression.
What I learned that
stuck with me the most is that people often use the words depressed and sad
interchangeably. In reality, there is a
huge difference. Sadness is a temporary
feeling. One might be sad if they get
into a fight with their best friend or if they fail a test. Depression often lasts for weeks, if not
months at a time.
What I didn’t
understand, until I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, is that it is
all encompassing. For example, at the
height of this dark period in my life I felt as though nothing was going
right. I no longer enjoyed going out
with my friends. I felt like a complete
failure at work. I was only sleeping 3
hours a night because I would wake up in a cold sweat and couldn’t fall back to
sleep. I wasn’t hungry, which was fine
with me because it hurts me to chew anyways.
I would read self-help
articles that made such suggestions as exercise, meditate, try to think
positive, do things that make you happy.
I was attempting to do those things daily. I just couldn’t get out of the funk. I probably would have cried, except it
literally hurts my face (a lot) to do so.
Finally, I gave up and
got help. I went to a psychiatrist and
listed all my symptoms. She spoke to me
about why I could be experiencing depression/anxiety. I knew exactly why: I had just moved back
into the country, my AC had broken, my new job was challenging, and I had
gotten bad news about my jaw. In fact,
that is what put my over the edge. We all agreed that my anxiety/depression is pain related.
She prescribed a
depression/anxiety medication that would increase my appetite and help me gain
weight, since I am typically underweight.
This medicine would also help me sleep, which would make me more
productive, alert, and (hopefully) happy.
Because I had a decrease in stress/anxiety, she also hoped that it would
help me control the tension in my face and; therefor, feel a bit better. I began taking the medication last December
and I quit taking it in June. The medication was a blessing, and it is the reason I was able to get better.
Though I have several
months worth of the medication in my medicine cabinet, I am not going to take
it unless I need it. As my surgery
approaches, I will monitor my emotions and decided whether or not it is best
for me to begin taking the medicine again.
I know most people do
not want to discuss how the pain can mentally affect them. Some people feel ashamed, and don’t want to
discuss depression. I have spoken to
several woman who suffer from severe jaw problems and have admitted struggling
with depression/anxiety. They have also
taken prescription medication to help.
It takes a strong person to admit they need help.
I am writing this to
make people who suffer with jaw problems aware that they are not alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with
seeking professional help if you need it.
I have recently read
comments from a person (on another website) who believe that pain is “psychological and all in one’s
head.” That is absolutely, positively
not true. I cannot just ignore it and it
will go away. It is with me all day,
every day. Some days are better than
others, but no day is pain free. I have
MRI’s and CT scans that show major trauma to my jaw, which clearly explains the
pain in my face/head. Comments such as this are highly insensitive. Some people need to learn a little bit of empathy.
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