Psychological Impacts of Dizziness & Vertigo

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Psychological Impacts

Symptoms from vestibular disorders are invisible and unpredictable.
This does not mean that they are imaginary, but that they often
contribute to a wide range of psychological impacts. People who have a
vestibular disorder often need support and may benefit from counseling
to cope with lifestyle changes, and the depression, guilt, and grief
that comes from no longer being able to meet their own or others’
expectations.

* Internal conflict: Even people who have made an uneasy peace
with their symptoms may experience an erosion of self-esteem and self-
confidence because of the difference between what they can accomplish
and what they wish to accomplish.

* Depression: When depression occurs, it is often difficult to
treat because many antidepressants are associated with side effects of
particular danger to someone with a vestibular disorder, such as
increased dizziness and likelihood of falls.

* Grief: Grief encompasses psychological, social, and somatic
reactions to the perception of a loss. People can become obsessed with
all the things they have lost—that they’re no longer able to care for
their families, no longer physically active, or no longer able to
work.

* Anxiety disorders: An increased incidence of anxiety, panic
attacks, and agoraphobia is sometimes associated with vestibular
dysfunction.

* Social isolation: People with vestibular disorders
understandably choose to avoid situations and environments that
provoke vertigo and unsteadiness. This reduces social contact with
other people. It may be too fatiguing for a person to join colleagues
around a conference table or mingle with other parents during a soccer
game. Even a low-key get-together with friends is fatiguing because of
the frequent head turns required to participate in conversation with
several people at once.

In addition, without education about vestibular disorders and
willingness to adjust and communicate, family members and friends may
distance themselves and be unsupportive. Because of the invisible and
poorly understood nature of vestibular disorders, people may be
accused of exaggerating their symptoms or of abusing intoxicating
substances. Even close loved ones will often get frustrated and
irritated with the limitations a vestibular disability imposes.

* Other stresses: Managing symptoms of a vestibular disorder
requires other practical adjustments that are difficult. For example,
financial hardship caused by medical bills and lost work time often
adds to the stress.