That Dirty Dark Topic...

When I first started going to a pain specialist for my EDS, they sent me to a counselor because they said that pain can effect other areas of your life. I didn't want to write on this subject because admitting that you're not always perfect mentally can be difficult - but for the sake of helping people understand what we go through, it's important to mention it.
Here's a few facts...

1. "[In one study of Ehler Danlos Patients, o]ver half of the adults (56%) had been in outpatient psychotherapy some time during their lives, typically for depression/anxiety and relationship difficulties; 22 (54%) reported a history of at least one episode of significant depression, 19 (46%) had used either antidepressant or anxiolytic medication. Three adults had been hospitalized for psychiatric difficulties; 2 of whom had attempted suicide. Five patients reported a history of alcohol or illicit drug dependence and treatment. In all, 29 adults (71%) had received some psychiatric service (medication or therapy) at some point in their lives." EDNF Article
2. "[In EDS patients,] problems with anxiety, depression, and interpersonal sensitivity were dominant." EDNF Article
3. "Diagnosing depression in the chronic pain population can be a tricky task because the two syndromes share many common features. Fatigue, sleep disturbances, and deficits in memory and attention are characteristics of both disorders." PsychiatryOnline Article

Keeping on top of your mental health is just as important as your physical health. It's easy to forget to look at the things you CAN do rather than what you CAN'T. In order to deal with this personally, I tried writing out things I still can do. I also purchased the book You Are Good At Things. Corny, I know, but it's a good thing to remember.