The Chicken and Egg Paradox of Chronic Illness

For patients living with multiple chronic illnesses, getting an explanation for new symptoms can be an infuriating endeavor, to say the least. Determining the cause can be frustratingly circular, like the paradox of whether the chicken or the egg came first (in my case, an arthritic chicken and an egg with a mood disorder). Healthcare providers are quick to place blame on an existing chronic physical illness for a mental health problem, or vice versa. As a result, patients with multiple chronic illnesses often aren’t taken seriously, and may receive treatments and advice that don’t address the root of the problem. Providers may see a patient with serious new symptoms and simply attribute the cause to an existing diagnosis. Patients can be seriously harmed when providers abandon due diagnostic diligence.

patients with multiple chronic illnesses often aren’t taken seriously, and may receive treatments and advice that don’t address the root of the problem

My own experiences are, unfortunately, a typical example of missed diagnosis and a resulting delay in treatment. Providers take one look at my chart, see the psychiatric medications I take for my anxiety and mood disorder, and assume that whatever problem I’ve presented with is simply a new…