ADVISORY: This post discusses depression, addiction, and loss.
Guest blogger Rosanne Wetzel, MPH, RDN, CD is from West Bend, Wisconsin. She is a mom of three young boys and enjoys spending time with them playing games or doing anything outside in nature. She holds a master’s degree in public health and currently works in oncology nutrition as a clinical dietitian. Her youngest son and brother-in-law were diagnosed with VEDS a couple of years ago. She has since been engaging in the VEDS community to spread awareness and advocacy.
Depression and physical chronic illness are commonly experienced ailments. Individually, these conditions carry their own consequences, however, when concurrent; their combined effect on well-being can be far more complex. Quality of life is, perhaps, one of the most negatively impacted aspects of the co-existence of these conditions.
From a public health perspective, the significance of this relationship, especially as it pertains to more unique conditions like Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (VEDS), needs further establishment to incite urgency in early intervention and maintenance. Further research may not only aid in the discovery of a cure but also help to increase engagement of interdisciplinary providers who treat individuals with these co-occurring illnesses. In my professional world, I have worked in both behavioral health and oncology specialties. This has given me the opportunity to see a larger scope of the incidence of concurrent health concerns among different patient populations. It brings to light how much room for growth there is, to facilitate effective and cohesive health management.
Quality of life can be evaluated in physical, social, and mental capacities. These domains have a broad reach into various aspects of self-care. Sub optimal self-care can perpetuate potentially debilitating consequences of chronic illness and depression. I am particularly passionate about this topic, as I have family with VEDS, both living and deceased. I saw my children’s father battle with depression and addiction, while experiencing many significant physical health complications. This journey revealed for me, through a personal lens, how drastically quality of life can change when physical and mental health intersect and compound.
When I think of my young son, I am left to envision what health complications are to come in his future. This weighs heavily on my desire to foster any available prevention efforts.
Let us not leave to wonder what life will be like for our affected youth with VEDS. Let’s research. Let’s question what’s next. Let’s donate to the cause. Let’s not settle for just maintenance. Let’s honor those we’ve lost and those who are struggling, to help us better inform our health care. Let’s take all of our shared experiences, both personal and professional, to plan for the future.
The VEDS Movement mission is to save lives and improve the quality of life of individuals with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS).