I've been suffering from a hodgepodge of symptoms for the better part of the last two decades. Most of these symptoms presented themselves not long after getting getting a very nasty bout of food poisoning when I was 12 while the rest didn't present until many years later:
- Arthritis: This tends to be system-wide but shows up most severely in the lower back, hip, knees, shoulders and neck.
- Misc. visual problems inc. flashes of light, blurred vision, after images, auras/visual migraines & visual snow. Oddly enough my actual vision is excellent outside of the problems
- Dry eyes
- Tinnitus
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Random numbness and or pain
- Swollen glands / nodes
- Sleeping issues inc. choking, holding breath, infrequent night terrors & very frequent hypnagogia
- Tiredness, lack of energy
- Poor memory, inability to concentrate and a mild form of dyslexia (reading and writing)
- Asthma (allergic) and all that comes with it
- Allergies, primarily to mold and dust
Needless to say I've been to countless doctors and screened clear of cancers, lupus and the other major autoimmune issues via blood tests. Additionally my MRI was negative for MS and all eye tests have come back free and clear of problems. In fact about the only thing that's ever actually been confirmed was the the allergies and asthma. Though I should mention that two doctors have now and again labeled me with Reiters and Sjogrens without any proper testing to confirm it.
Generally, the prevailing diagnosis consistently seems to be that this is all in my head and the best thing for me is some anti anxiety medication or perhaps anti-depressants. I don't consider myself an overly anxious person, though I will admit that the symptoms themselves do tend to present anxiety. As for depression, I'm by no means depressed whatsoever. In fact outside of the health issues (which I don't linger on nor normally discuss with anyone) I'm very happy. All that said, I am willing to accept it's an anxiety issue or a mental health issue if that seems to make sense. Especially since both of my parents are mentally ill (Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder, respectively).
So here's my question. Excluding the obvious and confirmed symptoms of allergies & asthma, do you think it's possible my symptoms are a product of my imagination or mental state? I suppose I'm just looking for a "virtual" second opinion before I jump on this mental health bandwagon.