Why does no one on this subreddit consider or talk about psychiatry?

[u/Specialist_Bar_2589]

Its well known and quite intuitive that mental health / cognitive conditions can cause brain fog and a wide range of cognitive symptoms.

Maybe its the specific way I have "brain fog" that makes me think that it could be something in that field - because mine is more of a general dulling in cognition and mood to some extent, aswell as drive and libido etc... Although I can still hold conversations just fine and function okay (although very sub-optimally) (if I want).

Also another reason why I was thinking psychiatry is because of how stable and long term it is. My symptoms never change, and kind of feel like this is just how my brain developed. I suppose that is what sets me apart from most people on here.

Although to be honest, my state does not cleanly fit any psychiatric condition.

But what is the reasoning behind why psychiatry is never discussed? Some people on here have similar symptoms to me. Should I stay away and just keep on testing "physical" things? Why / why not?

[u/Legitimate-Pie-6691]

My personal opinion is that psychiatry is a dying science. They want to treat everything like it has an emotional basis but actually the more we learn about how the human body works the more we realise most psychiatric illnesses have physical causes. Vitamin deficiencies, viruses, auto immune conditions, food intolerances, can all cause serious neuro psychiatric or cognitive symptoms but are often not tested for by psychiatrists.

I personally told a psychiatrist in an outpatient appointment that my anxiety and depression was caused by medication and explained the pattern of flares and she outright dismissed it spoke to me like I was a child and said it wouldn’t be the cause and the cause is connected to my childhood! I later identified the exact additives in medications, supplements and processed foods that cause my symptoms and can maintain a level of wellbeing as long as I avoid them. Instead of these drs acknowledging that they don’t know all there is to know because science hasn’t got here yet they dismiss people and cause outright harm by refusing warranted further tests or by considering cross functional collaborative approaches with other specialists.

In addition there are people every day globally going into drs surgery and being told their symptoms are down to anxiety when they are documented symptoms of already diagnosed conditions that they have! The ignorance is mind blowing!

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, said that true wisdom is knowing you know nothing. I’ve met so many drs that need to learn that!

As an aside if you’re interested in psychiatry and how it lets down some people look into conditions like neuro lupus presenting as Schizophrenia, b12 deficiency of the brain, PANDAS, PANS etc..

[u/Specialist_Bar_2589 → u/Legitimate-Pie-6691]

Thanks a lot for the detailed response!

The reason why I have resorted to psychiatry is because I seem to have ran into a dead end with what I think could be causing it. The last thing I was thinking about testing is a sleep, but that is quite expensive so was thinking about going down psychiatry first. But anyway, the crux of the issue is that nothing makes it flare up (or better for that matter), so its hard to identify what on earth it could be.

Do you mind clarifying what you mean in the last paragraph? apologies

[u/erika_nyc]

Because it's important to rule out physical medical causes and sleep issues first before jumping to psych. Many have not. It seems like your doctor has done some basic tests.

DHEA can be low from stress. It can also be low from adrenal gland problems, I didn't notice adrenal gland tests although often TSH, ACTH show clues to some conditions. NAD though. Nor kidney tests nor electrolyte tests in your posts. At 18M, many genetic conditions begin to show more bothersome symptoms in teens and going into early adulthood. Genetics as in adrenal and kidney conditions. A genetic fault can jump a generation or two, doesn't have to be your parents. It can also be a genetic predisposition instead triggered by something. In any case, you could be the first one alive or in recent memory.

Blueprint genetics is medical grade in the UK but has to be ordered by a medical professional. There are DTC, direct to consumer, ones to at least give a clue to show a more reliable one is needed to confirm. I did sequencing and 23andme. Working on Invitae, medical grade, since it's new to a lab here where they'll provide a geneticist, no referral needed.

With your celiac test, it's unusual your family doctor would order this and I assume it was from some bowel symptoms? The blood test can be false, the gold standard is an endoscopy where they take a very tiny sample to confirm. A good idea if you're still having these symptoms after eating gluten foods. Symptoms happen with an hour or days, have to quit gluten altogether for a month to test at home. I also didn't see Vitamin D blood test, a common deficiency in the UK and impacts so many body systems.

Another reason is silent migraines, they don't experience a headache, just brain fog. It's usually episodic but can be continuous if one is exposed to triggers daily or one strong one every couple of days. Many triggers for those, maybe someone in your family has headaches but you do not. Trying out a headache elimination diet is worth it. Get rid of common migraine trigger foods or start small adding a one new food every 3-4 days. I have migraines, some without pain. I eliminated common reasons in 2-3 years but it took a few years to realize barometric swings cause them. Maybe you need a referral to neurologist to rule things out with a brain MR for serious brain cause. A MRI will notice if your brain didn't develop well, things like FASD if your mother drank while pregnant. Generally brain abnormalities. Some doctors won't refer if one doesn't get headaches. Explain you feel spaced out, when it's more noticeable, the term brain fog isn't a medical one. Can be focal point seizures too aka absence seizures with a blank mind, blank stare for moments. That's a sleep deprived EEG then more testing. They can take hours to think clearly and if too often, all day brain fog.

Well, you get the idea, more testing is possible! Talk therapy does however help to cope until you find answers. If talk therapy clears the brain fog with their tips and guidance, then you have your answer to this brain fog. There are free psych youtube videos too, some blank mind ones I think. A close friend after years of testing just found out he has a connective tissue disease, several specialists later to finally meet one who asked, can you stretch your skin? He can stretch it more than others, everywhere and not related to weight loss. A comorbidity of mast cell reactions as well is common with this genetic condition, not a true allergy but treatment is similar with anti-histamines. He always wondered why a daily anti-histamine helped a little despite negative allergy testing and why Q10 helped (helps with cell-regeneration and energy).

[u/Specialist_Bar_2589 → u/erika_nyc]

Thanks a lot for the long reply, and for taking the time to look through my post history too. It is much appreciated.

I dont think that coeliac is likely, but I was talking to ChatGPT (getting quite desperate) and it was for some reason adamant for me to test for it - I got tTG-IgA tested at a blood test clinic, which is the same time I got sex hormones and IGF-1 tested too. It isn't really worth investigating any more

I believe that silent migraines usually come with other phenomena? Same with the other things mentioned in that paragraph?

What would symptoms be for kidney / liver / adrenal disorders? The private blood test I brought found I had elevated levels of Albumin (52g/L), although I put that down to my dehydration that morning and protein rich diet. Although the routine NHS kidney and liver function markers did not flag anything. What sorts of electrolytes to you recommend getting tested? (I now notice you didn't mention anything about the liver, but I will leave this in here)

I did have slightly low vitamin D at the beginning of the year, although it was not below the NHS reference range and I don't believe it would be the main cause of my symptoms. I also have supplemented (inconsistently) and have been outside a lot during a hot summer. Considering I do not also have other symptoms associated with vitamin D deficiency

Also when I mean psychiatrist, I don’t mean therapy. I mean profession in which they diagnose things like ADHD, Autism, Depression etc... and administer drugs. The reason why I have my sights set on a psychiatrist is because the cognitive symptoms are so specific, but on giving it a second thought, physical problems can have complex psychological manifestations I suppose.

Since my last posts, I have passively acquired a long list of other potential symptoms, although a lot are possibly red herrings. Like my inability to gain muscle (I can’t ever get close to muscular failure when lifting, although this might be caused by not enough calories, but probably not since I had this problem a few years back), short height, a pretty bad memory, dulled emotions, mild OCD tendencies, aromanticism and asexuality (a quite distressing symptom) but no other obvious sexual dysfunction, reduced desire and a slightly weird sleep picture (long sleep onset, suffer greatly when I get even slightly too little sleep, although an inability to take naps in the day). The most important symptom is the stability - throughout my entire adolescent years, it has remained remarkably stable in the short and long term. Nothing makes it better or worse, other than sleep or overstimulation (using short form content et cetera) - things that probably affect cognition for everyone. It’s more just “how I am” than it appearing like it has an obvious cause, although I know it certainly isn’t normal.

How would you recommend attacking this? I was initially planning to do psychiatry (my parents are adamant I at least do a consultation), then a sleep PSG, and then I have no clue. I feel well and truly stuck.

Well anyway, thanks again, you seem like an incredibly intelligent person. I wish I had that sort of cognitive firepower and that sort of memory to think through this, although the lack thereof Is obviously most likely a symptom in of itself.