ADL Questionnaire leads to Depression

[Nettles]

So, SS sent a questionnaire asking me to detail what I do on a typical day. When I looked at what I had written I realized how small my life has become.

Let's see...I sleep 12-14 hrs a day, eat when I remember, watch a ton of TV, read, bathe, go to the grocery store when I can...that's about it. I rarely leave the house because of fatigue/inertia/depression/whatever. How sad is that?

In my previous life, I lived! What the heck am I doing now? Talk about depressing a depressive. Ugh.

[Jules A]

If you aren't seeing a counselor I would seriously consider it depression which could be adding to your fatigue and imo I have seen wonderful results with antidepressant medication.

I'm not sure if it is related to the fact that we have this miserable *** disease, duh, or the lesion location in our brains but people with MS are more susceptible to depression. I would not just accept this as my current baseline without exhausting all the options, especially if you are thinking about adding a baby to the mix.

[mjan]

OH hon I am so sorry for all you are strugging with. Know that HERE we can identify with what you are going through for WE understand. HUGS!

Now, you did not mention your mood..are you sad? Lonely? cry alot? or.. cannot cry at all? Do you find pleasure in things in life..or not. I watch a lot of TV as I am home mostly except for doc appts, but I still enjoy the new life I am in.. can laugh and find pleasure and meaning.

Because lots of illnesses cause fatigue, inertia..like your "get-up and go" just " got up and went"..so to speak.

I kept saying to myself, "boy you sure look like you are depressed" but I know I was not sad at all. I lacked ENERGY and doing things used the little energy I had up.

BUT I got on these supplements (after trying Provigil) and my energy returned. I still get "waves" of feeling sad, crying, but it leaves in hours..which is NOT true depression which lasts for days, weeks. But definitely its reflecting chemical changes in the brain.

If you are GRIEVING, yes, see a therapist. We have lots to grieve about as MS is a life changing event. No one WANTS to live this way. What I can DO is adjust my attitude and accept what I cannot change..but.. change what I can (the Serenity prayer).

Taking in more specific nutrients has helped alot. There are 2 supplements that really help. They are listed in my Nutrition section or its part of the signature in Shashi's profile. Meds too can deplete the poor brain of many of the nutrients we need, along with a sluggish liver/colon that cannot get rid of toxins the same.

In other words, the more your illness/injury is affecting your daily living the better it will aid you in getting the SSI/SSDI benefit.

I go through the same or used to. BUT I am not sad, I can laugh, have meaning & enjoy life still.

I also am overwhelmed whenever I have to describe ALL my disorders/illnesses that now have caused me to stop working entirely.. a career I loved. I am not grieving over that though. Working increased my stress so much it made me sicker. I accept that now.

So yes get help via meds, therapy if needed, but don't forget good nutrition and supplements for fatigue.

Warmly, Jan

[Windwalker]

Hi Nettles,

I can certainly relate to everything you say.

I receive SS plus private LTD payments. The private LTD frequently asks for updates and asks the same questions concerning daily activity.

My response goes as such...Lay in bed and watch TV, sit in chair and watch TV, sleep, eat...rinse and repeat

When applying for SS, they made appointments with both a M.D. and a psychiatrist. Definitely tell them that you are affected mentally, emotionally as well as physically. Well, I had the mindset that the Dr. would try every trick in the book to say I could work at some type of job...however, the day after seeing him SS called and said..."we canceled your appointment with the psychiatrist". The Dr. obviously said I was totally disabled and I'm glad to know SS will save money when they can.

I was depressed for a long time and in denial about it until my Dr. prescribed Cymbalta, it was then that I realized how much the depression affected me. You can change things but you have to make the effort.

Truth is I am jealous of you because you live in San Diego...I live in the middle of the Sonoran desert...not conducive to helping my symptoms.

When we are depressed, we forget the bright spots and focus on the negatives. Of course you lived a fuller life before MS...as we all did. It sounds like you are able to do a lot more physically than I can and I feel your depression is holding you back. Try some anti-depressants, what do you have to lose? You can always record the TV show you will miss

[Spydre]

When I had to fill out that sheet, mine was somewhat like yours. Get up, eat, watch tv, sleep, call my mom, sleep, eat dinner, go to bed. That was also back when I was on Avonex (did not have a good reaction to Avonex) and I believe that was also when I had a broken tailbone, so I specifically mentioned having trouble standing up from a sitting position.

Mine has gotten a bit better, but not by much. I do have the ability to laugh at times, and try to enjoy myself sometimes, but it's a stretch. And this is with seeing a psychiatrist and a counselor. My cymbalta was just upped.

[onlyairfare]

Mostly I just ignore those ADL assessment questionnaires because they just remind me of all the things I can't do, when there are lots of things I still can do. I'd rather think about that.

But if you apply for disability, then you have no choice, you have to fill them out.

[Nettles]

First, let me state what you all already know: This board is the greatest thing since sliced bread! Whenever I'm having an issue, I know you awesome people will be there for me.

I should have mentioned that I'm on Cymbalta, Lamictal (gives the AD that extra oomph), and Klonopin (for anxiety). So the drug front is covered. I would love to be in therapy (was in it for 7 years) but the cost is just too much.

I guess I was just shocked by what most of you have already figured out a long time ago---I've been robbed by MS and there ain't no going back. It was just a temporary wake-up call is all.

I laugh, love, cry, and enjoy things normally I think. The lack of purpose is what I was reacting to.

In my previous life, I was an overachiever. Sometimes I think that MS has been God's way of making me slow down. [And also a way of teaching me to be humble, as my intelligence was the only thing I was ever proud of...and now cog issues make that a doubtful thing.] But this much?!? Wow. Just. Wow.

[Lendi]

It's hard, this coming to grips with a life that wasn't what you had planned. I hated all the paper work for SSDI but my moment of "what the heck" came when my DD said she had been sent a questionaire about me and that she filled 3 additional pages out front and back.

It wsn't so bad when I could see what was happening but it was tough to know that I wasn't hiding it well and that DD was seeing things too.

On the flip side, there's sooo much of life still left. So many things I can do and didn't have time or energy for when I worked and didn't really appreciate life, like chatting here on the board. Time that I can fix my DH's favorite meal every now and then when before I had a reason for all these questions I worked I didn't have time.

Time I can spend with my granddaughters when before I was too tired from working so hard. Time I can watch the birds and keep an eye on our resident bunny. I love having time.

[mjan]

Gosh you are on Lamictal and you are sluggish? Its known for giving so much energy that folks cannot sleep on it. My husband was on it for seizures and he would stay UP for 22 hours a day.. I had to beg him to sleep.

I cannot stress how important it is to take those supplements for fatigue that are mentioned in Nutrition section and on Shashi's signature..they really help alot.

AND you will NEVER probably hear a MD tell you about specific NUTRIENTS that the brain/liver/colon need to function. MEDICATIONS rob the body system of the abiltiy to function.

When I first when to this specialized nutritionist..he said I was so sluggish that my body systems were headed for hardly functioning and nearing organ failure !! It was very risky. I could hardly walk..slept and worked..did NOTHING else!!

Best to you as you figure this out. If you can find a nutritionist..or provider that uses NRT=nutritional response testing using the autonomic system..its sooo precise. It helps you with exactly what you need ONLY for as long as your body needs it. It saved my life and kept me working.

Warmly, Jan