Rheumatoid Arthritis

Years ago when I was diagnosed at 16 yrs. of age with JRA (juvenile RA), two physicians told me that there was such a thing as the rheumatoid personality. They hinted that there was a certain personality type that was more prone to develop RA. I understood them to mean that this was exclusive just to RA people. However, they never elaborated on just exactly what a rheumatoid personality was. I know I have been a "nervous nellie" since birth but lots of people have anxieties and don't have RA.
Has anyone else ever been told the same thing?

Hi Tati,
I had never heard that term before and wondered if they meant that people with RA are hypochondriacs. I have heard that people with Lupus, RA, fibromylagia and other hard to diagnose diseases are sometimes thought of this way, as if the pain is all in our heads.

I did do a quick search of the term and I found this discussion in an article titled, "Agency and communion in people with rheumatoid arthritis"
Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Oct, 2003 by Kimberlee J. Trudeau, Sharon Danoff-Burg, Tracey A. Revenson, Stephen A. Paget

"Personality factors have a long history of being implicated in the development and progression of rheumatic disease. In the 1940s and 1950s, evidence for a direct causal link between the "rheumatoid arthritis personality" and disease onset was described in the psychosomatic medicine literature (King, 1955). Over the past 40 years that finding has been proven false by a number of empirical studies that demonstrated the plausibility of bidirectional causality. That is, personality characteristics are as likely to be reactions to the onset of the illness and the stresses of living with RA as they are to be causes of it (Baum, 1982; Oberai & Kirwan, 1988; Scotch & Geiger, 1962)."

I hope this is helpful/somewhat comforting. It's similar to a surgeon who once called me a "professional patient", which I think was a backhanded compliment for my knowledge of the health care system and my disease, etc. But I was pretty offended at the time.
Christine

Thank you Christine for the info concerning the rheumatoid personality, as I had no idea where to look for any thing on the subject.
It is comforting to know that R/A's onset is most likely not due to hypochondria or a "personality disorder". However, I've had a very mixed up childhood one in which I am ashamed to say was that I hated my mother. This hatred was so bad, the doc said that I repressed my true feelings and they came out in the form of R/A. I've often thought that that hatred did bring on the R/A because my other 3 siblings didn't have this hatred and they never developed R/A. I am so glad to note that I've long ago forgiven my mother and we love each other very much but I do think the toll it took on my immune system was disastrous! And too, I've always been a nervous Nellie since day one. and think that being very anxious may have been a key factor. Regardless, the article you mentioned didn't seem to think that these types of personality problems were a catalyst for R/A.
It is amazing what laughter and joy can do for cancer patients aqnd I find that if i incorporate more of this in my life, my R/A is far more manageable. Thanks Christine.

Hi,
I couldn't agree with you more about the benefits of laughter and relaxation for feeling better. Avoiding stressful situations and remembering to laugh have both a physical and emotional effect on the body.

I don't think stressors like family and job issues cause RA or other autoimmune disorders, but I have read a few articles finding that there is definitely a link between causes of stress and anxiety and the severity of symproms. Since many scientists think RA and autoimmune disorders are both hereditary and environmental, maybe significant stressors are the part of the environmental switch that finally turned it on for you?

In my family, it seems to be more hereditary than anything else. I'm the only one with RA in my extended family, and I was diagnosed at 16 months old, so stress didn't play a factor. But on my mom's side in the last three generations including mine, we have 9 different autoimmune disorders present. My sister has diabetes and we're the only two who had childhood onset.

Anyway, I hope you are doing well now with your RA. Keep laughing!

Christine