POTS and Mental Health

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I can only speak to my own experience and hope that gives you some insight into what POTS is and how it can affect you or the people around you.

Anxiety

What it feels like: Not being able to enjoy things because you’re worried about the next thing.

It is entirely understandable that anyone with a chronic illness, let alone an unpredictable illness such as POTS, would experience anxiety. I don’t see a way around it, to be honest. I once ran through everything I was worried about in any given minute to my boyfriend, and he was horrified after listening to me go on for about 10 minutes.

Let me give you a rundown of some of my common daily anxieties:

• Will I faint when I stand up?
• Will I get a headache later today?
• Will I be able to do everything I need to do before I don’t feel good?
• Now, let me share some of my overarching anxieties that I think about every day as well:
• Will I be healthy enough to continue with school/college/work?
• Will the people in my life believe I’m sick? Will they treat me differently because of my illness?
• Will I be able to have the life I want with my chronic illness?

That being said, many symptoms of anxiety, such as heart palpitations and shortness of breath, can also be symptoms of POTS. It is important to trust your instincts. If you think you have anxiety, you should absolutely contact a professional. Anxiety can interfere with many important aspects of your life. It is something you should work on and learn how to deal with in a healthy way.

Depression

What it feels like: Like nothing is ever going to go right, and you should just give up now.

Many symptoms of depression, like anxiety symptoms, can mimic POTS symptoms. Therefore, it is important to be aware of when you are experiencing something different from your usual symptoms. If you feel you are suffering from depression, contact a doctor or medical professional. They will provide the necessary help to get you back on track to a healthier life.

More Reading

Arnold, Amy C. “Cognitive and Psychological Issues in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.” NCBI, 27 March 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160364/. Accessed 4 June 2023.

Arnold, Amy C. “Cognitive and Psychological Issues in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.” NCBI, 27 March 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160364/. Accessed 4 June 2023.

Freeman, Kelly. “POTS and Depression.” The Dysautonomia Project, https://thedysautonomiaproject.org/pots-and-depression/. Accessed 4 June 2023.

Lambert, Elisabeth, and Gavin W. Lambert. “Cognitive function, health-related quality of life, and symptoms of depression and anxiety sensitivity are impaired in patients with the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).” Frontiers, 2 June 2014, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2014.00230/full. Accessed 4 June 2023.

Welford, Jenny, et al. “Mental Health: Help Managing anxiety.” PoTS UK, https://www.potsuk.org/managingpots/help-managing-anxiety/. Accessed 4 June 2023.

How have you dealt with mental health struggles?