Approximately 9.5 percent of the total U.S. adult population suffers from depression. Symptoms of depression can manifest in all areas of the body and a person's functioning--cognitive, emotional and physical. Physical complaints like stomach pain (a common depression-related complaint) can signal the risk of developing depression or communicate that a person may already have depression.
Stomach Pain as Signal
It is important to determine which symptoms (stomach pain or depression) come first in order to make a clear diagnosis and discern an effective treatment approach. According a study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (2003), physical complaints can signal depression. Stomach pain may indicate the onset of depression and can act as a warning bell.
Stomach Pain From Depression
With depression, you can also have digestive problems like decreased appetite, nausea and constipation. Additionally, the worry and anxiety that often accompany a depressive episode can create intestinal discomfort and other problems. Any of these issues can cause stomach pain.
Emotional Effects of Chronic Pain
If chronic stomach pain or other digestive system problems have limited your functioning or even caused disability and disrupted your life or relationships, this can cause depression. This type of depression is associated with the grief of losing normal functioning and its impact on your life and sense of self.
Treatment Considerations
Often, treating depression with counseling and/or psychotropic medication will also solve any stomach pain or other digestive system issues. It's important to clearly discuss physical complaints with your doctor during your course of treatment for depression or stomach pain. You need to feel confident that you are treating the root problem and not just treating its symptoms.
Listen to your body
Just because you have stomach pain doesn't mean you're on your way to developing depression, nor vice versa. However, it is important to pay attention to your body--it's trying to tell you something. And with depression and stomach pain, it's important to cover all the clinical bases and be clear with your doctor about all of your symptoms.
