Connie's history
Connie, a 39-year-old lawyer with 2 small children, came to the clinic with generalized symptoms of sleep disturbances, low energy, irritability, and anxiety. She caught herself overreacting on several occasions at work and at home, which triggered feelings of guilt and self-deprecation. She noticed she gradually lost interest in many of her favorite activities: nothing seemed to excite her anymore - nothing much mattered.
She began getting dull headaches, which she self-treated with over-the-counter medications. Initially the painkillers helped relieve the headaches, but after a few months the medication became less effective and the headaches more persistent and more frequent. Connie increased the amount of painkillers, but the cycle of pain kept escalating. By the time she was seen at the clinic, she was taking 10 Extra Strength Tylenol® daily and supplementing that with 3 to 4 Tylenol® No. 1 with codeine. Her sleep was very poor, and she found herself regularly waking around 4:00 a.m., unable to get back to sleep. Despite a loss of appetite, she gained 20 pounds, which she ascribed to craving sweet, starchy foods and drastically decreasing her activities.
Connie found it impossible to keep up with her reading because of inability to concentrate. She also noticed that her short-term memory deteriorated dramatically and she was constantly making mistakes. She was terrified of losing her position with the law firm.
Overcoming pain
On her first visit to the pain clinic, Connie was diagnosed with clinical depression and was immediately started on antidepressant medication. She was also found to have muscle contraction-rebound headaches. She attended the clinic weekly to discuss her concerns, medications, and progress with the physician.
She learned about the neurological basis of mood disorders and neurotransmitter deficiency that often is an inherited condition. She was greatly relieved to find out that it was not a lack of will, laziness, or character deficiency that caused her problems. She had a legitimate illness and could not "just snap out of it" on her own. Her greatest fear, that she was losing her mind or becoming senile, was dispelled when she learned that memory and concentration problems are very common symptoms of depression.
Within the first week on medication, Connie noticed feeling much calmer and less irritable. During the next week her sleep started to improve slightly and her headaches did not bother her as much. She was gently guided in reducing the amount of painkillers that she was consuming daily.
She started attending counseling, where she learned better ways of solving problems and responding to stressful situations. She learned relaxation response with the help of biofeedback and found it invaluable as her day-to-day coping tool. Connie had a personalized exercise program that she followed 3 times per week. She was also walking as frequently as she could and was making better food choices with the assistance of the nutritionist.
Two months later Connie was well on her way to recovery. She lost 12 pounds, felt fit, energetic, and happy with her life. She continued to take her medication under the supervision of her family doctor.