IAMGSD | GSD5 | Psychological aspects

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

People with McArdle’s have an average delay of about 2o years from onset of symptoms to diagnosis. They outwardly look normal and they can not explain why their activity/exercise tolerance is so different to that of their peers.

At peace with McArdle’s

We have a leaflet on this subject for you to share with others who can assist you with your mental well-being. You can access the leaflet here on our Publications page.

THE EARLY YEARS

From early childhood you know there is something wrong, but you do not understand exactly what or why. It usually starts with realizing that your legs quickly get heavy and seem to seize up. Having only one body, there is nothing to compare to and you assume this is what everyone experiences. But you find you can not keep up with friends and siblings. Why are you so useless that you just can not keep running when everyone else does. You wonder what is wrong with you. You begin to think that you are pathetic and inferior. Maybe you talk to your parents, but it probably is not taken seriously at that age.

TROUBLE AT SCHOOL

As you start to play games in the school playground you realize that you are no good at games like tag. You do not at first understand why and are confused. When you start team games you find that you are not picked from the line by team captains and are soon labeled as useless and unwanted. You are embarrassed at being left last to be picked or not picked at all, even by your best friends, and have to stand on the sidelines. (Quote “I would be really delighted on the rare occasions that I was picked second to last.”) Yet you know in yourself that you try as hard as everyone else.

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Maybe by age about 7 to 10 your parents take you to the doctor to find out what is wrong with your legs. The doctor says there is nothing wrong with you. That any pain is “growing pains” and can be ignored. Having been told this is what everyone experiences you know it is just you being pathetic, so you try harder. You try running against the pain and collapse in the playground. Everyone gathers around and jeers. You are labeled with a nick name like “Spastic”. You are totally frustrated with such poor performance despite all your efforts.

ISSUES IN SPORTS

Your friends are playing football, rugby, cricket, etc. Sports like cricket and basketball may seem good, as there can be lots of pauses, but they also hold danger if a burst of intense activity lasts too long. Any team sports become a nightmare that you want to avoid, yet you want to be with your friends. What is wrong with you? Why can you not do what they do?

INTERNALIZED TURMOIL

You can not discuss these problems with anyone because nobody understands. They think you are useless or lazy. You know you are not. The doctor examines you again and says there is nothing wrong with you. People say it is all in your mind. Maybe it is?

PUSH FOR FITNESS

You decide it must just be that you need to get fitter. You push yourself as hard as you can. It does not seem to get any better. Several times you collapse with your muscles seized up solid. Your parents realize this really is not normal and take you back to the doctor. He reluctantly refers you to the hospital. They examine you and confirm that there is nothing wrong with you. Maybe you just sprained a muscle? You need to get fit.

SELF IMAGE ISSUES

All you know is that there is something different about you. You know you are physically inferior to your friends. You can not do what they do, you can not keep up with them. You start to realize that they are better than you, even though you look perfectly OK physically. But you are a weakling, the runt of the litter.

STRAINS ON FRIENDSHIPS

If you have managed to play sport, it gets harder as you get into senior leagues. You have several bad episodes, maybe even visits to hospital. You have to drop out of the sports you love. You start to drift apart from your friends as they go off on matches and training sessions. You realize it is probably better that way, they do not want you around. They are going off to the gym and building their physiques. The last time you tried some weight lifting in the gym you ended up in hospital for a week. Best to leave it to them.

AVOIDING EMBARRASSMENT

You get used to having to make excuses. It is embarrassing to have to stop when walking with others – perhaps school or work colleagues who know nothing of your problems. You rely on all sorts of excuses, tying shoelaces, taking a sudden interest in shop windows, sending an “urgent” text. Anything to avoid having to admit that your heart is racing and your legs feel like lead weights. It is too embarrassing to cope with and you start avoiding situations which might show you up. You say "I will meet you there", rather than risk walking with people. You set out that extra bit early, just to be on the safe side.

FINALLY, A DIAGNOSIS

It is 20 years since you first went to your GP over these symptoms, and finally one of your emergency trips to hospital attracts the interest of a doctor. He is sure there must be something at the root of this, he orders a CK test and you get referred on to a specialist. After a batch more tests you get diagnosed with McArdle disease. Wow, there really is something wrong. What a relief. You are not going crazy, you are not lazy, you are not unfit. Finally you can tell everyone that you really do have a medical condition.

But the doctors say they can not do anything about it.

YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN

You try asking for advice from your GP – he knows nothing about McArdle disease. He says you just have to take it easy. You have never heard of anyone else with McArdle disease, and nor has he. There is nobody to talk to about it. You still can not share what it feels like. You can not talk about it to anyone who understands. The relief of diagnosis suddenly turns to a life sentence with no prospect of parole. This is a genetic condition and you are lumbered with it for life.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

You are left wondering what this diagnosis means. How bad is it? What does the future hold? Will you be seriously disabled? What if you have children? Whereas you had almost come to accept whatever it was that was wrong, now all you have are questions and worries – and nobody has the answers. You start perceiving yourself as disabled. You start to define yourself by the things that you can not do.

NO UNDERSTANDING

You try explaining McArdle disease to a few friends. They have never heard of it. They look dumbfounded and do not understand. After all, they can see there is nothing wrong with you. You are not in a wheelchair, you do not use a cane, you do not even have a limp. And you look really healthy. They think you are just using it as an excuse. You decide the best thing is not to tell people about your McArdle disease, just keep it to yourself.

ISSUES WITH CONFIDENCE

Now you know there really is something wrong, that it is physical not just all in your mind, you realize that you better be careful. You do not want to end up back in hospital. You need to avoid certain activities. You ask your partner to take over various household tasks. After all, you are DISABLED.

THE DEPRESSIVE CYCLE

Having a chronic condition is known to be a source of depression and depression can worsen the course of disease. Depression makes you lethargic and you can not face exercise. A lack of regular exercise lowers your aerobic capacity, so almost everything you do causes cramping and pain. Your endorphins are low, so you feel more depressed. You become trapped in this cycle

IT GETS BETTER!

At last you find a patient support group. There is loads of information. For the first time in your life you meet other people with McArdle disease - people who know what you deal with every day, who understand. You find your stories are remarkably similar.

Then you learn about a doctor who specializes in McArdle disease, who has in-depth experience with helping people with the condition, who can advise and guide you. (It is such a change from all the previous doctors who passed on snippets of incorrect, fourth-hand information quickly gleaned from an out-of-date textbook.)

SUDDENLY, THE DIFFERENCE

Suddenly you start to know how to handle this disease.

You learn how to :

avoid hospital stays,
reduce (almost eliminate) pain,
have more energy,
exercise safely...
and regularly.

The more exercise you do the more you feel like doing. Getting into second wind has got easier. You feel so much better.

Life is not so bad after all!

The psychological turmoil is considerable. Some people struggle with this while others seem to find their way quite well, supported by empathetic family and friends.

The aim of this page is to provide an understanding of the issues involved, drawn from interviews with many people with McArdle disease. By recognizing these issues - parents, families, schools and health care providers will be better equipped to support people with the condition.

IamGSD IS WORKING TO IMPROVE THIS

IamGSD is working towards a lower age of diagnosis and the provision of good information and support to help people avoid many of these issues, or at least cope with the pressures.

With the right guidance, most people with McArdle disease can learn to cope with their condition, learn to focus on what they CAN do rather than what they can not do, and overcome these psychological issues.

CONSIDERING PARENTS

As this condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, it means that both parents are carriers (without symptoms) and the condition has unwittingly been passed on from both of them. The parents are bound to feel a sense of responsibility for their offspring’s condition. This is perhaps especially strong when the diagnosis is achieved at a young age.

Consideration should be given to helping parents understand that there is no blame attaching to them and explaining how they can help their child achieve a good quality of life.