A new paper (on-line only at the moment) (1) reports a prospective epidemiological study that examines the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the subsequent occurrence of painful medical conditions. The role that mood and anxiety disorders play in this association is also carefully assessed.
Posts Tagged ‘anxiety’
ACEs and the Epidemiology of Psychophysiologic Disorders
Thursday, June 8th, 2017Stress Illness Brochure (5)
Friday, December 18th, 2009Concluding with Part 5 of the Stress Illness brochure:
IV. Stress From A Traumatic Experience
Linking Stresses and Symptoms (3)
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009It comes as a surprise to many, that mental health conditions like Depression, the Anxiety disorders or Post-Traumatic Stress may manifest themselves predominantly as a physical illness. As a result, people suffering from these conditions may have no idea what is causing their symptoms. Many people with Depression, for example, don’t feel particularly depressed. So what are the clues that point us toward these diagnoses? I usually ask the following questions: (more…)
The Stress History
Monday, November 16th, 2009Negative life events that persist for more than a short time sometimes can cause physical symptoms. We can divide the wide range of issues that can do this into five major categories, which simplifies the diagnostic process considerably. In evaluating medically unexplained symptoms, I inquire into each category in a process called taking the Stress History. I do this after having acquired a clear chronology of the patient’s illness. I know when and where symptoms began and their pattern over time. This often enables me to find links between symptoms and stresses. For example, I often ask if anything stressful occurred just prior to the onset of the illness. When I find these connections in timing, it increases the likelihood that the stress is responsible for the symptom.
