This link is important to know about for many chronic conditions.
I have lived experience of this reality. I know it.
Immune system and nervous system are totally linked…I can feel it.
Folks in the chronic illness circles are all saying the same thing as well…we feel it…and those of us with protracted psychiatric drug withdrawal issues are also impacted…This is not news to us. Still, it’s important information for the scientific and medical communities.
From University of Virginia Medical School. A press release:
In a stunning discovery that overturns decades of textbook teaching, researchers at the School of Medicine have determined that the brain is directly connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist. That such vessels could have escaped detection when the lymphatic system has been so thoroughly mapped throughout the body is surprising on its own, but the true significance of the discovery lies in the effects it could have on the study and treatment of neurological diseases ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s disease to multiple sclerosis. (read more)
Those of us with protracted withdrawal issues quite often have the sorts of neurological issues that this research is talking about.
The two pieces below also speak to some of these issues though I don’t make all the connections explicitly. I share this sort of information for those who can do make the connections for themselves and then do further research.
- Protracted psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome, chronic illness, CFS, Fibromyalgia. Yeah, they all have things in common.
- Autonomic nervous system dysfunction, protracted psych drug withdrawal, CFS, Fibromyalgia and why I still limit engagement on the internet
This too: Immune Response is Secondary to Trauma — Mental health, immune response and inflammation
More on Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal and Chronic Illness on Beyond Meds.