This is truly it. For me, mania was the primary problem, though for many others it can be depression. Once I accepted the diagnosis, I felt a sense of hope. We d hit it at last. I also haven t had a migraine headache.
Most people don t realize that mental illnesses can cause physical symptoms.
But as I learned, the abnormalities in my brain chemistry may have been causing my headaches and menstrual irregularities all along. I was hospitalized for 28 days, and it was demeaning, degrading, worse than all the things I d been through. To receive flowers from your friends and have them put in a paper carton because you re not allowed to have glass on a psych unit. To be threatened with being put in a quiet room in restraints. It s one of the reasons I work so hard to stay well.