Depression causing physical pain?

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Recently (and I have wrote about it before) I was at a job where I was really depressed. I can honestly say that I have never been so depressed in all my born days. It was as if a dark cloud had descended on my life.

Anyway at the same time I was experiencing excruciating physical pain. It was as though all my joints and muscles were inflamed and it really did feel like my body was giving up on me.

Now at the time I made no correlation between the two, I just was getting on with things and trying to forget about the pain even though it was causing me a lot of worry.

So anyway it came to the point where I could no longer cope with the depression at work and I left that particular job (on good terms).

Now the weird thing is, as soon as I started applying for new jobs all the pain that I was experiencing lifted and it was more or less as soon as my mood lifted.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this excruciating physical pain through depression and is there a name for it?

IMO this is just a normal symptom of depression or stress, I've had it too.
I don't know if there's a name for it.

When you are anxious or stressed, your muscles will tense up and this can cause a surprising amount of pain. Sometimes it feels like I have the flu if I don't move around and loosen up every hour or so. I feel stiff and achey and sometimes my back hurts too.

Exercise and stretching really help. The exercise helps use up some of the adrenaline produced by anxiety and the stretching helps release tension. Progressive muscle relaxation is worth trying too. You tense and release each muscle group in turn. Focuse in the feeling after you release the tension.

It sucks that anxiety can cause so many different physical symptoms.

Thank you.

Yes, the mind and body are connected.
The ancient buddhists knew this, and many other spiritual peoples throughout history.
And now scientists are just beginning to catch up. But it's difficult for them, due to scientific orthodoxy, the academic machine, western prejudices concerning the body and mind, and the fact that their reductionist method (aka the scientific method) isn't able to gather "scientific" evidence of this directly. Who knows if they'll ever see the light.

You're lucky you are in a position to be able to quit a job and cure yourself of this pain the depression causes.
Many people, like myself, and others, aren't in such a priviledged position. Most of us go homeless, or commit suicide.
I've experienced severe pain from depression so bad it was like a medieval inquisitor was screwing a metal torture device into my back, and this triggered severe panic and feeling like I was literally dying. Only solution at the time was to knock myself out. Which I did.

This system, at least in America, is murderous for people with disabilities, who don't have families that will support them, or at least help them, and give them love and understanding. Love and understanding ! ! lol , that's a laugh.
More like "get to work you low-life POS slave, or we'll let you die on the street, or we'll have a cop brutalize you to death.
Seems to be the only two options "society" offers people with disabilities here.

Good luck

I probably need more good luck than you do.
I have a feeling I don't have long to live as it is.

Psychalgia is the term I've found to describe this. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'd expect that this job was causing you a lot of anxiety along with this depression.

I get a variety of sensations from it. From constant aching to sharp, stabbing pain that literally brings me to my knees. I startle my wife often by gasping from sudden pain. Anxiety and depression have a major physical affect on the body. The pain also likes to show up in old injuries.

CryosHypnoAeon, I feel your pain. Unfortunately evidence doesn't speak like the "almighty dollar". I'm finally coming into a situation where I do have some support. One of my big issues is the voice telling me "get to work you low-life" is in my head. I don't accept my limitations to well.

Oh dear. Thank you both for your help.

I did leave my job and I am fortunate enough to be able to support myself but only for a few weeks.

I cannot claim benefits and I have no family to support me either.

But I would rather worry about where my next meal is coming from than have to go through that god awful pain.

It did literally feel like my body was failing me.

@Aspician:I know what you mean about it attacking old injuries. I've jumped out of a lot of high windows in my younger days and have never received medical help. Also jumped of a bridge. I'm sure I have had minor breakages maybe in my feet and the pain I was getting was in my feet, ankles and shins. It was horrendous.

But the fact is, I haven't worked there for two weeks now and apart from the odd twinge here and there, I have been clear of pain.

Even my restless leg syndrome has seemed to clear up. Well, not 100%.

Thanks for all your help anyway.

I don't have a name for it but yes I have experienced this pain, it often reminded me of the aches and pains which accompany the flu, or like an immune response to an underlying condition. It usually occurred due to anxiety related depression triggered by prolonged stress.

It's difficult to actually pinpoint what the pain felt like and I'm not really a person who gets ill a lot.

It was in my joints and muscles. Feet, ankles and lower legs from the knee.

It was like a burning or a pulling feeling in the muscles and it was just horrendous.

Oh and in my wrists as well and the backs of my hands.

I wouldn't wish it on anyone and I hope it doesn't happen again.

Sorry babybird,

didn't know you only had a few weeks to find work,
find a new way to support yourself.

My best wishes to you

I don't know why, but for me, finding work is like trying to find a unicorn in a labyrinth.
I never understood how people all around me find work so easily and why I can't seem to find one person to look in my general direction. And when I DO find someone that'll consider me, I crumble when asked about my work history, because it's sparse and far between, and I hate HATE lying about such a stupid thing as work history. Basically, exploiters... I mean "employers" despise you even if you have the smallest gap in your work history, and question you like you're at an 1492 Inquisition about it, as if you're guilty of something heinous.

This, and many other reasons, is why I whole-heartedly wish the NT f**ktards would initiate the thermo-nuclear WW3 theatre and get this benighted , hellish planet of the apes done with. I'd actually enjoy it. I'd sit back, with my sunglasses on, and just watch the show

Oh don't apologise. You're not to know.

I actually have two interviews lined up for next week. One on Monday and one on Tuesday.

I'm finding that I'm really struggling though in an interview lately and then afterwards I'm really beating myself up about it afterwards and then suffering some sort of mild form of PTSD. It's really bad.

That's why I was even thinking about telling the interviewer about the aspergers before hand but I can't really see how that would help me in the long term.

I also know exactly what you mean about being made to feel bad about having breaks in your employment history. I was treated like a criminal the other day because I had left my previous job before looking for a new one.

Next time I'm in an interview, I'm actually going to interview them and judge for myself whether they are good enough for me.

There are benefits to be had from this. There is no point in working for someone who is going to put you back in the same situation you were previously. The unfortunate part of this is the lack of employers who are empathetic to the needs of autistics. But, to recognise this is important in setting yourself up with work that will be both mutually beneficial and healthier. Really, the employer who recognises the benefits of neurodiversity will be better off. In that respect, I really enjoy Craig Calvert's channel on YouTube.

I wish you well with the interviews.

@babybird in response to your post about injuries: That sounds painful. Have you ever had them checked? I wonder if it would be worth having it x-rayed. It may show if they healed properly, but I suppose it would be what it would be anyways.

Two injuries I've had in the past couple years have put me out of work for both physical and psychological (resulting increased anxiety and burnout) reasons. I sprained both my shoulders at one job, then I sprained my wrist at another. When off work for my wrist, my ("healed") shoulder injuries came back. For no apparent reason I would feel like someone was stabbing me in the back. Eventually I had a doctor diagnose it as psychogenic (or, psychosomatic). That may sound hypochondriacal, but it sure is not. Also, my wrist was not healing well, another doctor diagnosed that as complex regional pain syndrome.

Also have heard that pain can cause depression. Lately my TMJ pain has increased again and have been stressed about work. In the past I went to PT and also did yoga even before that and both of these activities helped the pain a lot. Never sure what brings TMJ pain on and it seems like it came on all of a sudden. Hope your pain is much better now and it is not fun at all.