Katie D. Arnold- Writer

Tag: anxiety

  • When fatigue is more than just depression

    Recently I have been feeling down, sluggish, tired (more than the usual tired) and I have been chalking it all up to a bit of depression and stress. The usual stress with co-parenting, work, lack of connection to peers etc. Come to find out through the gastroenterologist and the tests she ran that I may have Celiac disease and this could be contributing to my feeling of fatigue.

    Now this is the hard part of suffering from chronic depression is that everything feels like depression when you are fatigued or sluggish. And sometimes there are other physical factors that are not just depression, but it still feels just like a bad bout of depression.

    Two years ago I got the flu really bad over the holidays. I was confirmed it was the flu to rule out covid, so tests confirmed that the flu was actually what I had. I was sick for 2-3 weeks but the weird thing was I didn’t feel sick I just felt super depressed and sluggish. That’s where our minds can play tricks on us. Suffering from chronic depression can make us feel like anything physical going on with our bodies is just that same old depressed, sluggish, fatigued feeling. That’s because depression causes physical symptoms in people suffering from it the same way the flu and a myriad of other health conditions make us feel tired too.

    This is what makes suffering from mental health diseases so hard sometimes- is it physical, is it mental, is it both? Is it stress induced or circumstances, is it mental only and our medicine just needs to be adjusted? It is hard to know sometimes. Mental health medications can cause a myriad of side effects is why some doctors write off my physical symptoms as nothing other than side effects which can be frustrating. Also many mental health medications cause weight gain and then doctors tend to associate any physical issues with the problem of obesity, but maybe it is more than just obesity or stress, maybe something is really wrong physically but most doctors won’t believe you because of your mental health diagnosis. The stigma that everything is just in your head with a mental health diagnosis and don’t believe everything on the internet has been said countless times to me by various health professionals and is frustrating to say the least.

    I know my body and I can feel something isn’t right, more than just stress, more than being over weight (though I don’t deny losing weight would help me to feel better), and more than my mental health diagnosis which I am managing well. I am relieved this doctor is doing further tests to get to the bottom of my gastro symptoms.

    I think depression makes everything harder right?! But sometimes knowing whether it is truly just depression getting you down or something more is hard too. I encourage all to seek medical help whenever something feels off either mentally or physically or both. Early detection saves lives and as far as mental health issues seeking help early gets us back to our best selves faster, to live our best lives longer with less suffering for ourselves and loved ones.

  • How Important Therapy Is

    I’m back- I took a little sabbatical there from writing, and had a really hard time again in March 2025 following some events that transpired with my sister and my grandmother dying, which pushed me to join an IOP (intensive out-patient) therapy group mid-April 2025. The great thing about IOP is I can maintain my job and mom duties and fit it into my schedule seamlessly which has been great.

    And it has been helping me a lot. We learned that the whole point of IOP – DBT therapy is: “to control our minds so we can better control our emotions and reactions and live a happier more fulfilled life.” DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) has been doing just that for me. I have had some situations come up since starting this therapy that I have handled and managed much better than I would have prior to this therapy.

    The situation I am most proud of handling so well was my EX in-laws (Greg’s parents) coming to town for Pre-K Graduation for Brooklyn with no prior warning or heads up that they would be in town for the weekend from Chicago. I kept my cool and didn’t let it phase me. They came to the T-ball end of the year party too on Sunday and I just talked to different people and I didn’t let Ellen’s (Greg’s mom’s) annoying behavior get to me. I was so proud of myself, but it was mainly due to the skills learned in therapy and the cope-ahead plan I had worked on prior to the weekend and seeing Greg, I just modified it to include his parents in the moment.

    I have also taken some trips in the month of May to Charleston, SC and New Orleans, LA and I think the therapy has really helped me a lot to cope and manage successfully some situations that arose on these trips with friends. Another huge milestone is that I rang in my 40th birthday happy and healthy, mentally and physically, where last year I was so suicidal I thought I may not make it to my 40th birthday alive. That was huge that not only did I have a good time celebrating I also went on two trips and had a family swimming celebration that were all very positive and enjoyable! Usually my birthday month is hard for me- so I am very happy that 40, which is such a milestone itself was a good one for me! 🙂

    2025 also marks 5 years since I officially separated from Greg in August 2020. That has been a huge milestone that this therapy has been helping me work through. I finally feel ready to move on and live my best life with Brooklyn. Next major goal is weight loss and then I am “On my way” (a song from B’s Pre-K Graduation) to a happier and healthier life, and I’m finally ready!!