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Depression what caused it ?

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User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 15:17

Hi

Last year I suffered with depression.Got myself in a bad place.

Went to the doctor who said a possible cause could be after suffering with prostate cancer (or any other major illness )up to 20% more people suffer from depression 

Been doctors recently(totally unrelated illness)She asked about the depression tablets.Told her I don’t take them so she stopped them.Asked her about cause and she said had never heard of traumatic illness causing depression 

so just wondered if anyone had ever heard of this.

Used to be a positive upbeat sort of person who didn’t let anything bother me.So it was a shock for it to happen to me

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 16:47

I suffered from depression after my PCa diagnosis, Garry. I strongly suspect that it's not at all uncommon. In my case I was prescribed Sertraline, and that really helped me. I was on it for about 4 months in total. I came completely to terms with my diagnosis after a while and I'm fine again now.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 17:46

Men on hormone therapy are 40% more likely to suffer from depression and anhedonia.

I don't know what the figure is for men with prostate cancer but not on hormone therapy.

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 19:31
."Asked her about cause and she said had never heard of traumatic illness causing depression"

She will be the kind of GP who tells a man he shouldn't have a PSA test because it is like opening a can of worms, or that tells a patient with depression that they should take up a hobby.

Macmillan have leaflets and courses on mental health for cancer patients, for many it is after treatment has finished and they are told 'forget it ever happened and get on with your life' that they are most likely to get depression - something to do with adrenaline and fight or flight responses. How can any doctor not know this stuff?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 21:57

Here you go
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/coping/your-emotions/dealing-with-your-emotions/coping-with-depression.html

I think it is important to also recognise that it is reasonable for someone to feel sad, bereft, angry, cheated and / or to grieve after a cancer diagnosis - cancer is a shock, you are forced to face your mortality and prostate like some others can completely change your sense of who you are and what it means to be a man. Depression is something beyond that and not everyone who has low mood or feels sad, angry or weepy is actually depressed.

Edited by member 26 Sep 2019 at 21:57  | Reason: to activate link

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 16:47

I suffered from depression after my PCa diagnosis, Garry. I strongly suspect that it's not at all uncommon. In my case I was prescribed Sertraline, and that really helped me. I was on it for about 4 months in total. I came completely to terms with my diagnosis after a while and I'm fine again now.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 17:46

Men on hormone therapy are 40% more likely to suffer from depression and anhedonia.

I don't know what the figure is for men with prostate cancer but not on hormone therapy.

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 19:31
."Asked her about cause and she said had never heard of traumatic illness causing depression"

She will be the kind of GP who tells a man he shouldn't have a PSA test because it is like opening a can of worms, or that tells a patient with depression that they should take up a hobby.

Macmillan have leaflets and courses on mental health for cancer patients, for many it is after treatment has finished and they are told 'forget it ever happened and get on with your life' that they are most likely to get depression - something to do with adrenaline and fight or flight responses. How can any doctor not know this stuff?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 21:23

Lyn thank you

That is exactly how it happened.This was over  2 years after I had been treated for prostate cancer(brachytherapy)

My first doctor explained it to me about the fight or flight responses etc

I am glad I went to the second about my knee not my depression or who knows how I would be

Thankfully I can more or less control it now.

CBT counselling helped a lot

Will try and look at the Macmillan leaflets as would still like to make sense of it all

User
Posted 26 Sep 2019 at 21:57

Here you go
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/coping/your-emotions/dealing-with-your-emotions/coping-with-depression.html

I think it is important to also recognise that it is reasonable for someone to feel sad, bereft, angry, cheated and / or to grieve after a cancer diagnosis - cancer is a shock, you are forced to face your mortality and prostate like some others can completely change your sense of who you are and what it means to be a man. Depression is something beyond that and not everyone who has low mood or feels sad, angry or weepy is actually depressed.

Edited by member 26 Sep 2019 at 21:57  | Reason: to activate link

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

 
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