The causes of mood swings for people with rheumatoid arthritis are similar to the causes of depression. The chronic inflammation, pain, fatigue, and other symptoms can make it harder for you to withstand stress, so you may react more intensely to certain stressors or situations.
Having any form of arthritis — osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), juvenile arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, fibromyalgia or related conditions — can have a negative effect on your mental health. This most commonly manifests as depression or anxiety.
One study, published in July 2018 in Arthritis Care & Research, found that the incidence of depression was 45 percent higher in people with RA, anxiety was 25 percent higher, and bipolar disorder was 20 percent more common than in people without RA.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disorder significantly impairing the somatic, emotional, and psychological functioning of its sufferers. Previous research has shown that affected individuals are characterized by an increased level of anxiety and depression.
With arthritis, pain and fatigue may become a regular part of your day. The disease can also affect how your body looks, which may make you feel self-conscious. Over time, those kinds of symptoms can make you feel frustrated, angry, anxious, and, at times, depressed.
Adults with arthritis are more likely to have anxiety or depression symptoms than those who do not have arthritis. Of the 58.5 million adults with arthritis, over 10 million report symptoms of anxiety or depression.
About 1 in 5 US adults with arthritis has symptoms of anxiety or depression. These symptoms are more common in adults with arthritis who are women, younger, identify as LGBT+, have chronic pain or other co-occurring chronic conditions, or are disabled, unemployed, or otherwise unable to work.
Many people report feeling sad, hopeless, guilty, or unmotivated in the weeks or months following their diagnosis. Depression can also result from stress when you have RA. The autoimmune disease reduces your body's ability to handle stress, so you may feel the psychological effects more strongly.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder through a variety of mechanisms.
RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness (lack of balance), and deformity (misshapenness).
Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may experience psychological distress (depression, anxiety) in addition to their physical symptoms. People with RA may also experience disease-specific distress (DSD), related to the specific burden of living with their life-long condition.
The difficult nature of rheumatoid arthritis can mean some people develop depression or feelings of stress and anxiety. Sometimes these feelings can be related to poorly controlled pain or fatigue. Living with a long-term condition makes you more likely to have emotions such as frustration, fear, anger and resentment.
Moreover, people suffering from the autoimmune disorder are at high risk of getting schizophrenia [13,25]. The diagnosis of psychotic disorder is similar to an autoimmune disorder [5]. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered the only autoimmune disease that has a negative association by schizophrenia.
People with rheumatoid arthritis typically have several permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
Behavioral symptoms can include moodiness and irritability. Folic acid supplementation can help, though debate remains over the proper dosage. And even with supplementation, many people can't tolerate methotrexate.
Rheumatoid arthritis can at times put a strain on social relationships. Pain and loss of independence can make people feel frustrated, angry, and depressed, which can in turn affect other members of the family.
A lot of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report having trouble with memory, attention, and mental focus. They forget names and appointments, struggle to find the right words and have trouble making and carrying out plans.
One of the more unusual symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis is brain fog. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report having trouble thinking clearly, problems with memory, and difficulty concentrating.
Overexertion, poor sleep, stress or an infection like the flu can all set off RA symptoms. With a predictable flare you'll temporarily feel worse, but your symptoms will resolve in time. Unpredictable flares have more uncertainty associated with them.
Many people with arthritis say fatigue is one of their biggest challenges. Fatigue can be linked to many types of arthritis and related conditions. It's commonly a symptom of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis and lupus.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are sometimes linked. In fact, PTSD has been found to be associated with a wide range of negative physical health conditions, including cardiac disease, diabetes, cancer, headaches, chronic pain, and arthritis.
People with all types of arthritis are at high risk of depression and anxiety. If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are feeling depressed or are worried about developing depression, it's important to talk to your doctor.
Stress can make rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms worse. Take action to keep that from happening. Researchers still don't fully understand the link between stress and RA. It may involve things related to your body's stress response and inflammation.
It's common to have stiff and painful joints in the morning, making it difficult to get up and start the day. Everyday chores like cooking, laundry, cleaning, garden work and recreational activities can become a challenge as the disease progresses.