By Terrie Johnson | UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

While depression is a mental health disorder, some physical symptoms exist in patients. Some signs are gastrointestinal issues, chronic pain, loss of appetite, irregular sleep patterns, and fatigue. Thus, healthcare practitioners may sometimes fail to diagnose this condition because most patients only report physical signs (Bruce, 2021). Also, individuals may not suspect experiencing this mental health issue and are surprised that chronic pain results from depression. For instance, one could attribute back pain to strenuous tasks. Hence, healthcare practitioners must conduct a series of tests to ascertain underlying issues linked to depression, including pain.

Chronic pain may lead to depression, and the reverse is true. Experts claim that continuous body aches make individuals develop low self-esteem. This aspect occurs if one cannot participate in social activities or fend for themselves. Ultimately, one becomes depressed, and prompt intervention is necessary. On the other hand, depression causes the body to ache, hence worsening a person’s mood. Bruce (2021) opines that depression magnifies pain, thus making everyday living more difficult. For instance, a patient who complains of migraines may report frequent and more painful episodes if they are depressed. Fortunately, some medications make chronic pain tolerable and relieve depression.

Besides the cause-and-effect explanation, depression and body aches share a deeper biological connection. In the human body, serotonin and norepinephrine regulate emotions and pain. Since depression is a mood disorder, if these neurotransmitters are dysregulated, a patient experiences this condition. Similarly, when norepinephrine and serotonin are interfered with, an individual feels pain. To ease aches during depression, healthcare practitioners administer antidepressants that prevent the reuptake of the neurotransmitters responsible for moods and pain (Bruce, 2021). These drugs work well and have fewer side effects. Further, they reduce the perception of pain.

Reference

Bruce, D. F. (2021, September 21). Depression and chronic pain. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/depression/depression-chronic-pain