What does "severe" mean to you, medically?

[poppy]

I frequently see people use the word "severe" in relation to (some) health issues.  I get severe migraines, my son has severe ADHD, I suffer from severe back pain, my brother has severe depression, my father has severe anxiety. 

 

Do most people use this kind of language just to convey that it has a significant impact?   Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety...... all of those are just dreadful even if you have the "non-severe" variety.  

 

Does anyone have non-severe migranes? 

 

Do most people think of illness as a scale and there is mild-regular-severe?

 

You almost never hear someone say they have "severe diabetes" or "severe heart disease" or "severe IBS".  I wonder why those are different?

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

*This isn't about any WTM poster or thread*

[Um_2_4]

I have migraines (weather related) but I don't consider them severe. Mainly because I go on with my day, but might schedule some extra quiet time and skip some read alouds. They do eventually respond to an increased dose of OTC migraine medicine.

 

For me severe means it interrupts your life and/or does not respond to usual treatment and/or requires more extensive treatment.

 

I do have another condition that a specialist stated that I have "the most severe" case they'd seen. Meaning that I do not respond to typical treatment and that I have all of the "symptoms" to a more extensive level than is usual. But it does not affect my day to day living. It is more of a big picture thing, if that makes sense.

[regentrude]

I would assume the term "severe" to mean that it significantly affects daily life.

For some illnesses, that is a given - cancer is "severe" by its very nature.

 

But other illnesses and conditions can often have varying degrees to which they affect daily life. I get migraines, but only occasionally and of short duration; they are annoying, but do not hinder me functioning - I would not describe them as severe. A person with severe migraines may get daily, long lasting ones that prevent her from working. A person can have mild depression that causes a bit of a bleak outlook on life and a feeling of hopelessness but is kept in check with exercise and sunlight - or it can be so severe that the person cannot get out of bed, does not eat, and is suicidal. The anxiety you mentioned is another good example: one person may feel slightly sick to her stomach in an anxiety causing situation - another cannot bring herself to leave the house.

For many illnesses, there is a continuum, and the difference between "mild" and "severe" is significant.

 

Edited February 16, 2016 by regentrude

[kirstenhill]

I think some diseases you have the diagnosis or you don't -- diabetes might be a good example of this. 

 

Other things...maybe the symptoms affect you more or less often or there is a lesser impact to one's life?  My daughter has occasional headaches that I think are probably migraines.  When she gets them, she often vomits, has to lie down in a dark room, and often takes a nap or heads to bed early.  They are very painful at the time, but go away in a couple hours or overnight.  She only gets maybe one every couple of months. Other than once or twice missing an event because she had a headache, they haven't impacted her life very much.   I'd say that's not severe, but they still seem to fit the definition of a "migraine."  An acquaintance gets migraines that last for days and have landed her in the hospital more than once with debilitating pain. That's severe. 

 

eta - looks like everyone who is posting uses this example...LOL!  I can see adhd being a range too.  We are in the testing process right now for ADHD for one of my kids.  We are seeing problems that affect his life pretty often (especially in certain situations outside the home), but yet we also have great days at home where the possibly-ADHD problems don't hinder him very much.  I think we may get a diagnosis, but I don't think his is as "severe" as some cases where kids are diagnosed at a younger age and they just can't get any schoolwork done or whatever.

Edited February 16, 2016 by kirstenhill

[J-rap]

Well, I know my daughter has chronic migraines, and sometimes they are mild, sometimes average, and sometimes severe.  I guess severe, for her, means they are so bad that all she can do is turn off all the lights and go to bed.

 

My husband used to have chronic migraines too.  He had mild ones, which he could still push through and do almost everything still.  Average meant he'd come home at lunch and I'd give him a vigorous head rub and he had to focus a lot more to get through the day.  Severe meant I'd take him to the ER so he'd get a shot of something, and then he'd sleep for 12-18 hours.

[Katy]

I thought your question was going to be about how hospitals grade conditions.

 

DH has mild migraines.  He gets the auras, but very mild pain, they last about 3 days.

 

The term for severe diabetes is "brittle."  Other terms for the bad end of the scale on health conditions are "debilitating" or "end-stage."

 

There are medical terms for severe - like "refractory" that mean the condition is not responding to treatments.

 

How I would interpret that would depend on the person saying it.  If it's an attention seeking person, I'd guess it was another example.  If they are a reserved person generally I would take it to mean the bad end of the spectrum.  I'd take it more seriously for someone with a medical background than someone without.

[FaithManor]

To me it means something that is serious enough to make it very difficult to live, to take care of daily things, limit quality of life significantly, impact relationships, difficult for patient and doctor to manage, etc.

 

Some people have chronic, severe conditions. Others have a temporary severe condition, and others have very manageable chronic conditions.

 

I have never considered my pre-leukemic condition to be "severe" though sometimes I think my doctor thinks so because I am managing all of my responsibilities and still experiencing quality of life. However, I can see a time ahead in which that will not be the case so I am sure I will view it as severe. That said, I am not prone to talking like that IRL so most people will never know when it makes the crossover from manageable to really awful.

 

Ds had a severe case of mono back in November. His spleen was dangerously swollen; quite a few restrictions from the doctors, spent a month essentially in bed. It was a temporary condition, but by medical standards still a severe one and especially with regards to ranking the symptoms of that particular disease.

[Hilltopmom]

I think it's descriptive for things that can range from mild to severe. Depression, even heart disease, MS, lots of other conditions have different severity levels.

 

For example, my child is severely disabled & medically fragile:

 

Some kids with genetic conditions may use a wheelchair or walker , or need oxygen or meds at times, but can talk or use a communication device-that's mild to me.

Some can hold their heads up but need an adult to push their wheelchair & are tube fed on oxygen at all times- that's moderate to me.

Some have no body control at all, are blind & deaf, trached, on a vent, non verbal, non mobile, have daily seizures- that's severe to me.

 

Obviously, what some may consider mild, others would think was severe (until they saw severe, then mild starts to look more mild, kwim).

[DesertBlossom]

Dd has Type 1 diabetes and someone made the comment about her diabetes must be really bad because she has an insulin pump. Uh, no. All diabetes is bad. The pump is the mode of insulin delivery.

[Pawz4me]

To me usually "severe" means something that has a significant impact on ones life.  If someone said or posted "My back has been hurting" I'd assume they're having back pain but are for the most part functioning okay.  If someone said or posted "I've been having severe back pain" I'd assume it's significantly interfering with their ability to move and with their overall quality of life.

[Amy in NH]

Not mild or moderate.

[kewb]

To me, severe means it is disrupting your daily life. 

I get the occasional migraine and they send me to a dark bedroom.  However, the impact it has on my daily life is practically non-existent because the occurrence is rare.

[UCF612]

I usually describe my son as having severe food allergies. His are truly life threatening and I need people to understand that fact. So many people misuse the term allergy or have a true allergy that isn't life-threatening. So I use it to emphasize that he can't have "just a bite."

[Ali in OR]

I think it's descriptive for things that can range from mild to severe. Depression, even heart disease, MS, lots of other conditions have different severity levels.

 

For example, my child is severely disabled & medically fragile:

 

Some kids with genetic conditions may use a wheelchair or walker , or need oxygen or meds at times, but can talk or use a communication device-that's mild to me.

Some can hold their heads up but need an adult to push their wheelchair & are tube fed on oxygen at all times- that's moderate to me.

Some have no body control at all, are blind & deaf, trached, on a vent, non verbal, non mobile, have daily seizures- that's severe to me.

 

Obviously, what some may consider mild, others would think was severe (until they saw severe, then mild starts to look more mild, kwim).

 

Similar here, but my "severe" isn't as severe as your definition! I use "severely disabled" in a casual way to mean my dd has very limited capabilities. Most of her classmates in her Life Skills class are more "able" than she is. She cannot walk or talk, can't follow any directions, is mostly blind, has seizures. She needs assistance with all activities of daily living. But she's not medically fragile--no trache or feeding tube.

[bolt.]

To me, severe is a matter of degree within a set. Severe means (within the range of symptoms this condition includes) (these symptoms are within the top third or quarter).

 

Whether the condition effects life in general if all sufferers doesn't seem relevant. It doesn't strike me as a lifestyle measure. It strikes me as a diagnosis description.

[Χά�ων]

I do not know how others define it. I have enviromental allergies. My allergist refers to them as severe because of how sick I get. The allergies disrupt my life. I carry an epi pen and have been working to get them under control for years.

[sbgrace]

Wouldn't it be instructive/helpful to you if someone described a child you would be working with as having mild, moderate, or severe autism? You would expect to make many more modifications if the child was classified as severe, correct? The same would apply to ADHD or OCD or whatever.

 

The medical community suggests treating mild depression with things like exercise. Severe can lead to inpatient treatment due to suicide risk. 

 

Many metabolic conditions have ranges of severity based on symptoms, organs affected, age of presentation, or progression.

 

Lots of things in life have a range. Symptoms of  medical conditions often have ranges as well.

Edited February 16, 2016 by sbgrace

[rutheart]

I frequently say my daughter has a "severe allergy" to cinnamon. By this, I mean if you can smell cinnamon in the air, she can have problems breathing. We can't have it in our house at all. She pretty much can't leave the house September-December due to seasonal decor and baking. I carry an Epipen everywhere for her, and we have a short list of friends whose house she is allowed to visit because I know the parents take her allergy seriously. It is the primary reason she is homeschooled. So not only does her condition affect her, it also affects everyone else around her.

Ruth

[Carrie12345]

I used to get migraines that weren't what I would consider severe *within the spectrum of migraines*, except for one specific one I remember, no matter how hard I try to forget.  They all put me in bed, miserable, but that one had me nearly wishing for death.

 

I have genuine anxiety issues that could probably benefit from medication, but I don't consider it severe. I know people for whom it is completely debilitating.

 

I have a child on the autism spectrum, far, far from severe.

 

Not that these things haven't been and aren't true issues that impact our lives - they certainly do.  But nowhere near to the extent they do for others.

[The Girls' Mom]

To me, severe is when medical intervention is needed.  

 

I get migraines.  About 90% of them are NOT severe.  About 10% of them I just wished I would die already.  Those were the severe ones.

 

I have IBS.  It isn't severe, THANK GOODNESS.  A relative has severe IBS and it impacts their ability to function on a day to day basis.  

 

I've had diverticulitis.  The pain from it has been severe once, and I rushed to the doc.  (the ER would have been the next step if the doc hadn't been able to see me right away).  DH had a colon rupture from diverticulitis and that was not just severe, but SEVERE!! 

 

For me, it is about perspective.  Once you've experienced severe, most other things are simply painful or annoying.  However, my healthy dd might think a headache I'd consider mild was severe because it ranked among the worst SHE has ever had.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Probably a lot of it is subjective. 

[Pen]

I have migraines many of which are severe, but not all. And sometimes I have just a regular ol' headache.

 

Some cancers can be from "mild" to "severe" also though terms like NED - Stage 1 - Stage IV might more likely be used.

 

Diabetes also IMO, can be fairly mild and manageable just with diet, to severe and life threatening, or where feet are being amputated.

 

A "mild heart attack" versus a "severe heart attack"   --  a mild hairline fracture versus a severe compound fracture, sure, 

 

to me the term is meaningful.

[SproutMamaK]

To me, I suppose severe means "unable to function in one or more critical functions." Can't get out of bed, can't communicate, can't move your own body, can't toilet properly, can't going on with the basics of life, etc. I don't necessarily think that's what it SHOULD mean, but it's the connotation that comes to mind when I hear the phrase used.

[EmseB]

Severe, to me, means incapacitating or implies a loss of function.

[Barb_]

My son is mildly ASD. He can pass as normal unless you know what to look for. He has an excellent arsenal of coping techniques. My daughter had moderate ADHD. She is impulsive enough to be regularly dangerous to herself and her lack of focus and emotional regulation is bad enough that it interferes with her daily functioning. My one daughter had moderate to severe sleep apnea. I'm not sure what that means in clinical terms, but I'm guessing it mean that some episodes were long and others were dangerously long?

[gardenmom5]

My migraines are rarely severe. Even then, I'm not vomiting or going to the ER for emergency treatment. I have friends that had to do that.

[lexi]

Well I would say my daughter has severe allergies. They greatly impact her quality of life and many are life threatening. So the fact that they could kill her (and nearly have) is what I consider severe.

I used to have weekly migraines that made me vomit and stay in bed for a day or two. I was totally incapacitated and could not function. I would classify that as fairly severe. Mine are better so I don't classify it as severe anymore.

But I often feel the term is overused.

[Guest]

It's to make a distinction that one is describing something having a significant impact on his or her life, either temporarily or chronically. My DD had severe menstrual cramps; of course I'm going to tell the doctor they are "severe," because otherwise, I sound like an idiot saying I need to talk to the doctor because my DD has menstrual cramps.

 

Also, I disagree that someone would not say "severe IBS." Before I changed my dietary habits, my symptoms were severe.

[TranquilMind]

I frequently see people use the word "severe" in relation to (some) health issues.  I get severe migraines, my son has severe ADHD, I suffer from severe back pain, my brother has severe depression, my father has severe anxiety. 

 

Do most people use this kind of language just to convey that it has a significant impact?   Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety...... all of those are just dreadful even if you have the "non-severe" variety.  

 

Does anyone have non-severe migranes? 

 

Do most people think of illness as a scale and there is mild-regular-severe?

 

You almost never hear someone say they have "severe diabetes" or "severe heart disease" or "severe IBS".  I wonder why those are different?

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

*This isn't about any WTM poster or thread*

"Severe" means life threatening to me, or completely debilitating. 

 

A relative had a blood clot release and go to her brain (I think it was) once.  She was screaming in pain and she was no wimp.  That's what I call "severe". 

Edited February 16, 2016 by TranquilMind

[Jean in Newcastle]

Of course medical problems can be described by degrees of involvement or incapacitation.  For me personally, severe usually means that I need to go to the ER for immediate treatment.  Other times, symptoms can be severe but they are temporary enough or intermittent enough that you can be seen the next day or so.  But I think you would need some kind of intervention for severe problems.  I've had one severe migraine - I could not see at all for a period of time while I had excruciating pain.  I've known people with severe IBS - they were unable to leave the house. 

 

I tend to take people at their word when describing their own health conditions.  And I would be very angry if I felt like a non-medical professional were trying to pass judgement on the severity of my health conditions.  None of their business and they certainly don't have enough information to pass judgment. 

[abba12]

Severe, for me, is to differentiate between the common cases and common perception. Mild is the same.

So, I have mild asthma, I only use a puffer occasionally and even when I do, it's just for discomfort, not medically concerning issues. I state mild to let people know they don't need to worry, at all, about dust/smoke/excessive movement.

I have standard IBS (and yes, I have heard this called severe). As a teen I also had standard migraines, an afternoon nap and some strong pain killers would usually take care of it.

 

But I have severe PTSD. Actually, there is talk of a new label for my form which is CPTSD, but until that becomes medically accepted I'm stuck with severe. The point is, I know a lot of people with PTSD who can live relatively normal lives, and while they all have their flashbacks and triggers, a lot of PTSD sufferers don't need to disclose their condition and can pass as fairly normal and work around their triggers, and take down time during bad periods. Their PTSD is something which might cause some effects daily, but they usually only flashback when triggered, and can function fairly normally if they avoid triggers. This is particularly true of single-incident trauma like a car accident, where the trauma may not even effect them on a daily basis. That doesn't mean it doesn't have an impact of course, they'll have their nightmares and their emotions and whatever else, but, they're 'average' on the PTSD scale. On the other hand, to give a few examples just for context, I'm completely incapable of holding down a job, and the symptoms of my PTSD have a severe and debilitating impact on my daily life, every day, that is unavoidable and very hard to hide for any prolonged period of time. My days are planned around my condition, when I schedule things or write my morning to-do list a large, dedicated chunk of time (I've estimated around 2-3 hours a day, every day) needs to be set aside for PTSD management time otherwise I go crazy or shut down. My husbands employment is effected, even if he was capable he couldn't work a standard job because of my needs for care. I've recently learned that the physical symptoms I have actually have a name, conversion disorder, which explains why I become paralyzed or unable, physically, to speak, at times. Plus I suffer chronic psychosomatic pain, among other things.

 

Obviously I don't want to go into all this with everyone I meet, but if I need to tell someone I have PTSD, generally it is for a functional reason or it's because they have concern for me and want to get to know me better, so they need to know that my PTSD looks very different to the 'typical' case, or to a standard single-trauma case. Severe is an easy term to use which lets them know that my case is more serious/debilitating than their initial assumption.

Edited February 17, 2016 by abba12

[Daria]

To me, if I'm using severe or mild in front of the name of a condition, then I'm comparing myself to other people with that condition.

 

For example, I once had severe ringworm.  It was misdiagnosed, so I didn't get treatment until it was really well established, and then it kept reoccurring for months, and spreading to new body parts, even though I did all the things the doctor said to do.  In fact, I still have a mark on my arm 2 years later from that ringworm.  Since every other person I know who has had ringworm (I'm a former preschool teacher, so a disproportionate number of my friends have had ringworm), had it for much shorter periods of the time with no lasting marks, I would say my ringworm was severe.  However, it was not debilitating in any way. I didn't miss any work. I wasn't in pain. The cost of treatment did not break the bank, although I did have to buy a nice long sleeve blouse for an event to which I would otherwise have worn short sleeves.  

 

On the other hand, I have what I'd call mild migraines.  I have many of the symptoms of a migraines, such as a visual auras, and sensitivity to sound and light and smells, and pain in my head, and vomiting, but each individual symptom is pretty mild.  I also respond relatively well and quickly to treatment.  Most of the other people I know who have migraines tell me they last longer, they need stronger meds than I do, and that things that I can still manage to do they can not do.  So, I figure my migraines are mild.

 

Now, if you gave me a choice to trade in my mild migraines for a return of my severe ringworm, I might just pick the ringworm.  Because ringworm is just annoying whereas the migraine hurts.  Although it is also more embarrassing to have to explain, so maybe not.  

 

Having said that, I would never have described myself in my ringworm days as "severely ill".   It would have been  inappropriate for me to start a Caringbridge site for my severe ringworm, or to ask for leave donation, or hot meal delivery, or even to post a "please pray for me" post, because, well those are things for people who are severely ill, not people who have severe versions of mild conditions.  

Edited February 17, 2016 by Daria

[bugfree]

I think it depends on what they are talking about.  I would think each and every condition has what a medical profession might consider severe.   

A severe hearing loss means that a person can not hear if a sounds is less than 71 decibels.  It is a defined level of hearing.  
 
Here is a link to the degrees of hearing loss. 
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Degree-of-Hearing-Loss/

Edited February 17, 2016 by bugfree

[jewellsmommy]

I frequently see people use the word "severe" in relation to (some) health issues.  I get severe migraines, my son has severe ADHD, I suffer from severe back pain, my brother has severe depression, my father has severe anxiety. 

 

Do most people use this kind of language just to convey that it has a significant impact?   Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety...... all of those are just dreadful even if you have the "non-severe" variety.  

 

Does anyone have non-severe migranes? 

 

Do most people think of illness as a scale and there is mild-regular-severe?

 

You almost never hear someone say they have "severe diabetes" or "severe heart disease" or "severe IBS".  I wonder why those are different?

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

*This isn't about any WTM poster or thread*

I have non-severe migraines. I get all of the special effects, i smell things that aren't there, I get numbness in my face etc, but not bad pain.

 

Ds has severe adhd meaning (unmedicated) that he literally loses track of the first half of his sentence by the time he gets to the end. He will stop and ask, "what was I saying."

 

Dd has very mild adhd, so she is unmedicated.

Edited February 17, 2016 by jewellsmommy

[katilac]

I frequently see people use the word "severe" in relation to (some) health issues.  I get severe migraines, my son has severe ADHD, I suffer from severe back pain, my brother has severe depression, my father has severe anxiety. 

 

Do most people use this kind of language just to convey that it has a significant impact?   Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety...... all of those are just dreadful even if you have the "non-severe" variety.  

 

Does anyone have non-severe migranes? 

 

Do most people think of illness as a scale and there is mild-regular-severe?

 

You almost never hear someone say they have "severe diabetes" or "severe heart disease" or "severe IBS".  I wonder why those are different?

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

*This isn't about any WTM poster or thread*

 

Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety . . . I've experienced all but ADHD, and they are far less dreadful when they are mild rather than severe! Not dreadful (when mild) at all, really, just a pain and an inconvenience and something to keep an eye on.  

 

And I know some people who have kids with mild and even moderate ADHD/ADD who certainly don't consider it dreadful, just more of something to work around and, yes, sometimes a pain and an inconvenience.  

 

Mild-moderate-severe is a very common medical rating. It's most definitely used for heart disease and IBS. 

 

For diabetes, I think many doctors do not like the term 'mild' because it relates to a belief that it doesn't always have to be treated and/or monitored carefully. This is more common in the south, where people still routinely say that they are okay, really, they just have 'a touch of the sugar.' 

 

So, doctors don't like it, but I do still hear laypeople talking about diabetes being mild or severe. Sometimes they are talking about their specific numbers, and sometimes they are talking about how easy or difficult it is to control (which can vary a lot from person to person). 

 

When people bring up an illness, it is often in the context of either venting or explaining, so it makes sense that they mention 'severe' more often. If you're having some mild anxiety at an event, there's no real reason to mention it. If you're having severe anxiety and have to leave abruptly, you are more likely to offer an explanation. 

[katilac]

"Severe" means life threatening to me, or completely debilitating. 

 

A relative had a blood clot release and go to her brain (I think it was) once.  She was screaming in pain and she was no wimp.  That's what I call "severe". 

 

You have a tough definition!  :laugh:

[TranquilMind]

You have a tough definition!  :laugh:

I guess.  I do think the person upthread who asked why this term is only applied to certain conditions and not others is right.  That's a good question. 

[Barb_]

Well it's kind of like having a severe case of pregnancy. It's not a matter of degree there. So with diabetes, a certain number triggers the diagnosis. I suppose people can have severe diabetes but I think it's just referred to as "uncontrolled" at that point.

 

Hypertension is another one. A number triggers the diagnosis, then it's referred to as stage 1, stage 2, stage 3. Same idea, just semantics.

 

ADHD is mushier. I have a couple of kids who awere probably diagnosable for ADHD as kids but were mildly affected. One is more scattered, the other more impulsive, but both were able to function well with coping techniques and teaching and I never had them evaluated. One has since taken herself to the doctor for a diagnosis and medication. The third one is moderate and bad enough that she started meds at 9.

[Jean in Newcastle]

You don't always know just how severe a condition can get.  I've thought before that I had a severe case of certain things because they impacted me greatly and I needed a lot of intervention.  And then I got sicker and thought, "Oh boy, that wasn't really severe at all.  This is SEVERE!" 

 

But who cares?  Doctors are going to make their own judgement on the severity of an illness or condition based on their more panoramic view of the disease and treatment options.  They might ask for our perception of how it affects us, but ultimately they are going to base their opinion on test results or more objective descriptions of symptoms.  That is why I don't tell doctors that I have "fatigue" or some other subjective description of a symptom.  I give them concrete examples.  "I have to sit and rest after ten minutes of vacuuming and cannot resume activity for 24 hours because I am unable to function."  They will still look for the bigger picture, but having concrete examples helps them to see that picture. 

 

As far as laypeople, unless it is a friend or family member who is directly impacted by my situation, I don't care a fig what they think about how severe things are.  Most people, most of the time, have no idea how things are because I don't tell them.  Even if I'm in the hospital, I'm not going to give them a detailed description of my symptoms and their severity.  Anyone who only gives sympathy if they deem my situation worthy, is not worthy to know about my situation.  Even with my family, I expect them to take me at my word if I can or can't do something without trying to justify it.  If I were to abuse that (which I don't) then I would expect them to set boundaries on what they would or would not do for me but since I haven't abused it, it hasn't come up. 

 

edited to fix punctuation

Edited February 17, 2016 by Jean in Newcastle

[Laurie4b]

I think the adjective severe is used to indicate the intensity of the condition, whatever it is. Why we apply one set of words to some sets of medical conditions and not to others is one of those oddities of English. But whether the quantifiers are "mild, moderate, severe," or "stage 1, 2, or 3" or something else, the idea is that conditions often are on a continuum in terms of how significantly they affect your life.  

[heartlikealion]

I find this very interesting. I never know how to describe my headaches and sometimes doubt myself if they are a headache or migraine. The additional burden of classifying them as mild to severe? lol Can I pass?

 

Let's see, generally when I believe I have a migraine I'm in no condition to drive and don't want to leave the house at all. I would probably cancel any plans/obligations. Like, I would probably miss church so that means something. Often when I have a migraine I'm nauseous and vomiting and can barely complete tasks. I've asked dh to come home early to help me with the baby. But I don't always get quite to that point. I still want to stay home either way and opt of daily life.

 

Now if I were to think of my worst headache compared to my friend that just had her second brain surgery because of Trigeminal Neuralgia? Then I'd feel like we weren't even on the same scale and I had nothing to complain about.

 

"Interferes with daily life" is not typically how I would define severity. I guess when you are dealing with something that you've dealt with before, you just try to cope? Yeah, my OCD interferred with my daily life a lot in the past, but I felt like it could have been worse... I wasn't stopping in the road constantly to check under my car and see if I ran someone over (example of one type of OCD type fear). However, I was plagued by thoughts I couldn't shake. 

[Barb_]

I find this very interesting. I never know how to describe my headaches and sometimes doubt myself if they are a headache or migraine. The additional burden of classifying them as mild to severe? lol Can I pass?

 

Let's see, generally when I believe I have a migraine I'm in no condition to drive and don't want to leave the house at all. I would probably cancel any plans/obligations. Like, I would probably miss church so that means something. Often when I have a migraine I'm nauseous and vomiting and can barely complete tasks. I've asked dh to come home early to help me with the baby. But I don't always get quite to that point. I still want to stay home either way and opt of daily life.

 

Now if I were to think of my worst headache compared to my friend that just had her second brain surgery because of Trigeminal Neuralgia? Then I'd feel like we weren't even on the same scale and I had nothing to complain about.

 

"Interferes with daily life" is not typically how I would define severity. I guess when you are dealing with something that you've dealt with before, you just try to cope? Yeah, my OCD interferred with my daily life a lot in the past, but I felt like it could have been worse... I wasn't stopping in the road constantly to check under my car and see if I ran someone over (example of one type of OCD type fear). However, I was plagued by thoughts I couldn't shake.

Subjectively, I would classify pulling over constantly would be "interfering with activities of daily living" because you cannot get from here to there without constant interruption. Being plagued by thoughts would be more moderate since you were able to cope without, for example, washing your hands until they cracked and bled or staying indoors for months or whatever. When life must routinely come to a halt for whatever your illness is, that's probably what people mean by severe. Degrees are probably helpful because otherwise only the most disruptive cases might get a diagnosis. Edited February 17, 2016 by Barb_

[Reefgazer]

To me, severe=unmanageable or difficult to manage/control.

[heartlikealion]

Subjectively, I would classify pulling over constantly would be "interfering with activities of daily living" because you cannot get from here to there without constant interruption. Being plagued by thoughts would be more moderate since you were able to cope without, for example, washing your hands until they cracked and bled or staying indoors for months or whatever. When life must routinely come to a halt for whatever your illness is, that's probably what people mean by severe. Degrees are probably helpful because otherwise only the most disruptive cases might get a diagnosis.

 

I have more than one kind of OCD and the hand washing til your hands crack and bleed (mainly due to winter but btdt) isn't really much better than than the thoughts because they can often be disturbing thoughts. When you cannot kick a thought out it's really a form of torture. I used to have spiritual OCD and when you go to church at least once a week it's a lot of anxiety in the church. So no, outwardly my life didn't come to halt, but it was quite disruptive internally. Especially when you're confused about how often you need to confess your thoughts. I am quite indecisive so I could easily go back and forth on what I constitute severe lol.

[Janeway]

I frequently see people use the word "severe" in relation to (some) health issues.  I get severe migraines, my son has severe ADHD, I suffer from severe back pain, my brother has severe depression, my father has severe anxiety. 

 

Do most people use this kind of language just to convey that it has a significant impact?   Migraines, ADHD, back pain, depression, anxiety...... all of those are just dreadful even if you have the "non-severe" variety.  

 

Does anyone have non-severe migranes? 

 

Do most people think of illness as a scale and there is mild-regular-severe?

 

You almost never hear someone say they have "severe diabetes" or "severe heart disease" or "severe IBS".  I wonder why those are different?

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

*This isn't about any WTM poster or thread*

I think my migraines are non-severe. I will be sensitive to light and have a headache and get cranky. There will be a piercing feeling through my head like an ice pick going through it. But, I think based on what I see my uncle goes through, having to take to his room for days on end, freaking out on us if we tried to speak to him, that his are severe and mine are not. I can breastfeed through one, LOL. Just don't turn on the lights or speak to me much. I would consider something that is severe to be cause a person to be non-functioning.

[heartlikealion]

I think my migraines are non-severe. I will be sensitive to light and have a headache and get cranky. There will be a piercing feeling through my head like an ice pick going through it. But, I think based on what I see my uncle goes through, having to take to his room for days on end, freaking out on us if we tried to speak to him, that his are severe and mine are not. I can breastfeed through one, LOL. Just don't turn on the lights or speak to me much. I would consider something that is severe to be cause a person to be non-functioning.

 

wow

 

[Barb_]

I have more than one kind of OCD and the hand washing til your hands crack and bleed (mainly due to winter but btdt) isn't really much better than than the thoughts because they can often be disturbing thoughts. When you cannot kick a thought out it's really a form of torture. I used to have spiritual OCD and when you go to church at least once a week it's a lot of anxiety in the church. So no, outwardly my life didn't come to halt, but it was quite disruptive internally. Especially when you're confused about how often you need to confess your thoughts. I am quite indecisive so I could easily go back and forth on what I constitute severe lol.

And you're really the only one who can decide

[Jean in Newcastle]

And you're really the only one who can decide

 

And that's the thing.  Unless it is a doctor saying "this is severe enough to warrant xyz treatment" or "this isn't severe enough to warrant xyz treatment", it really is up to the person suffering.  And even then, at times we want to ask for a second or third opinion.