Braces and depression

[krissytron]

I've suffered from anxiety and depression, diagnosed last March and since getting braces (for the third time) in April, it has only gotten worse despite being on a prescription and having a loving boyfriend.

[buttersnacks]

31 here. I've battled with depression for a long time, but I more got the braces to address my dentist's concerns about my bite. I haven't felt any change in my day to day life due to them, internally or socially. While this might have been different 10 years ago, I'm perfectly comfortable with them now, they're just kind of there. They make eating a little annoying at times but that's about it. For me, the two aren't linked, they just coexist independent of each other.

[djspeece]

As you all know depression is a serious disease and I hope those of you who struggle with it are under the care of a knowledgeable physician who can prescribe an appropriate medication and perhaps recommend therapy. Also, if your current medication is not working, do not hesitate to contact your provider -- there are many options and combinations available and what works for one person will not work for another. Braces can enhance your self concept but they won't treat depression.

[Tyrantblade]

Im actually diagnosed as Bipolar-NOS, and for me braces don't factor in negatively, like i have times where it all feels like a drag, but i feel thats normal with braces

Much more often, knowing things are getting better feels amazing, especially lately because my bite is coming together a little bit, still much longer to go, but i feel accomplished

And of course im on medication for it and feel its working properly

[Perloo]

I am 25 years old and got my braces on one year and two months ago. This is my 3rd round of braces. I had a standard 2 rounds as a kid and then found out when I was 18 that due to a myofunctional problem (tongue thrusting) I would need braces again and myofunctional therapy. My tongue thrusting had caused me to form a severe open bite. However, my smile still looked great with nice straight teeth. Everyone was surprised that I would need braces.

I put this off for a year or so then finally got into the myofunctional therapy. A year after I completed that, I finally got the braces back on. I got the braces on just one year after graduating from college and 5 months after starting my career. They look hideous. I've never been a super attractive hot chic or anything, but I've also never felt unattractive before in my life. It really brings you down to feel ugly every time you open your mouth. I had a very positive attitude about the braces for the first year even though I thought they made me look bad. Yes they brought me down and caused a lot of irritating mouth pain, but I was really happy to finally have my dental problem fixed. I was told that I would only need them for 1 year. One month before I was expecting to get them off, I was told that an additional 4 months were needed. This is when I started to really feel sh*tty about my braces.

Now I don't feel motivated or positive at all. I just want these things off. I still have my job and boyfriend, but it feels like I've started to permanently look different to everyone. These braces no longer feel like a temporary inconvenience. I should probably mention that what also makes them so bad is that I have to wear rubber bands (upside down V's) in the front of my mouth ALL DAY! I now avoid talking to people at work because I feel so humiliated and awkward. Not to mention that it's difficult to talk properly with these things in. I've felt very sensitive for the past couple of months. Little things make me feel so upset (angry and sad) and I feel like a big reason for my recent feelings and attitude are these braces. They just feel like a weight I want lifted. I know that I only have 2 more months, but I don't think that I can hang in until then. I can't lift this funk that the braces have set me in. I don't think I'll be able to handle it if I find out in March that I need to wait even longer. All of the things that I've felt, but shoved aside about these braces for the past year are finally setting in (ugliness, boyfriend secretly being embarrassed by me, etc...). They're all hitting me at once. I hate feeling like an ugly person. It might all be in my head, but it really does seem like people don't reach out to you as much when you look different. My self confidence has decreased a lot. My biggest fear is that even after I have the braces taken off, people will still see me as the girl with braces. Some of my acquaintances now have never known me to not have them and most others have known me longer with them than without them.

[djspeece]

The last few months are the worst, for sure. I'm with you there. I had a two year plan turn into three, and every time I went in for adjustments in the last several months I kept expecting to get the good news that the &^%#!@@! things were coming off -- and didn't. It gets old. Hang in there -- it will so worth it when you get them off. Don't slow down now, do everything to the t so there won't be any unexpected surprises or extensions or whatever. You're in the home stretch!

[ItsFreyja]

Perloo, I want to affirm you putting yourself out there to us. We're always happy to listen, because we know how unexpectedly traumatic braces can be at times. So please don't think I'm disregarding your painful feelings when I say: No one cares about your braces that much. Really. Do you have any evidence for believing that they do? In my own experience, I have found that when people comment on my braces at all (which is rare) they are either (1) just being nice, like commenting on a new haircut; (2) remembering their own past experience with braces; or (3) secretly wishing that they had the nerve to get braces themselves. Especially with respect to your boyfriend, please really ask yourself if you have any evidence that he is embarrassed by your braces. I am sure that you can survive a few more months and stop letting these feelings have so much power over you, but I hope you won't damage your relationships in the meantime by projecting these feelings onto other people.

[djspeece]

In re-reading your post and Freyja's excellent insights and advice, I would say that although the braces seen permanent and that they never ever will end, in fact they will come off and thanks to the remarkably short memory and attention span of most people, they will actually not remember you had braces after about 5 days. My personal theory is that they notice that your smile looks better, but they can't quite put their finger on it, and rather than trying to remember they elect instead to go find a cup of coffee or ask you about the upcoming Superbowl game. It's like the movie "Men in Black" in which they used that pen-like photo device to erase everyone's memory of the bizarre scene that was just witnessed. I have a lot of theories like that . I've had my braces off since the end of October, and there is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful I had braces, that I can smile more freely, and that I got through the experience with my sanity more or less intact. I think it's great that you come here and so eloquently and poignantly describe what's going on. Keep it coming!

[Ziggy]

If you're truly depressed I don't think braces are going to fix that anymore than buying a new car will. It seems to me that people who get braces are probably not depressed as they are looking toward the future and improving themselves. Most people I know who are depressed sit at home all day and don't really care about anything, including their looks. Also, bad teeth and/or new braces can lead people not to smile, which can often look like depression when they are simply self conscious about their mouth. It would be interesting to see if there is some relation between braces and depression but I don't see it.

[AliBaileyOffic]

Yes, it seems like ever since I have gotten braces I too have struggled with Depression. I have had mine on for 7 months now. Going in today, I felt the usual anxiety as I don't enjoy the wire cutters. But, upon arrival, everything seemed to have gone wrong as not only was it a new power chain/tightening, I also was given the little elastic rubber bands. I am in so much discomfort and along with that, looking at the progress on their computer made me feel awful. The computer said I was 7 months out of 18 done with my progress. Defeated, I sit in much discomfort trying to get out of the pain as well as the sadness I feel. I go back in April, hoping that soon the two in the front will be together and my overbite will be gone.

[WonkyIncisor]

I suffer from MDD and my braces have not affected my depression one way or the other . I am looking for job now and it is hard interviewing with my bite blockers since I have a lisp with them in. I'm working on it, but I can't wait until I can get them off. I also have dark purple ties and will need to switch them before my next big interview, so I am taken seriously.