TOXIC MOLD EXPOSURE STRESS ANXIETY AND MENTAL HEALTH

I am not a mental health professional; I am just providing information on my own opinions based on my own observations of thousands of clients starting back in 2003.  Perhaps this information can stop one person from falling into a downward spiral of stress, anxiety and fear fueled mental health issues induced by worry of toxic mold exposure.

I have personally observed that mold does in fact cause health problems, it typically causes respiratory problems including coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy throat, runny nose, and sinus headaches. I have also seen mold growing on cloths and furniture cause rashes. My above referenced observations are well accepted in the medical community and mold inspection industry. Mold typically does not cause conditions like anxiety, depression, forgetfulness, directly.  This view is grounded in science, medicine, and my own observations.

I have also noticed that when mold spreads out of control in a client’s home, it can be extremely stressful. The ordeal of having mold, or any problem that is unhealthy and expensive or difficult to handle is stressful. Such conditions will make a person feel that an important part of life has spiraled out of control. Such feelings of helplessness, lack of control, and fear appears to often trigger severe stress, depression, and anxiety in some people. I don’t have to be a therapist to have observed this, it is common sense and common knowledge that stressful situations can cause anxiety, fatigue, and depression.

 

MOLD AND MENTAL HEALTH

I have seen too many people so stressed out over mold that they appear to developed sever anxiety and depression. I know they have anxiety and depression not because I diagnosed them. I know some of them have such conditions because many of them have told me they were diagnosed with it by a doctor when faced with mold problems.

Most of my clients with anxiety, depression, or stress related symptoms do not believe the emotional problems are because they are stressed out over mold, instead they wrongly assume that the mental decline is just one more symptom of toxic mold poisoning.

In my opinion this is a dangerous misconception because it breeds even more fear of mold, that in turn causes even more depression, stress, and anxiety. It becomes a never-ending downward spiral of emotions.

I do not currently know of any scientific literature from non-bias scientists that indicates mold causes anxiety, stress, or depression type symptoms. Of course, I do not know everything about what toxic mold does and does not do to a person. I am just stating that I do not currently know of any such peer reviewed literature that claims that mold causes mental health issues.

Let’s just say it might, in some cases, be the stress of dealing with mold that causes some people to experience a variety of symptoms. Other symptoms people report to me when they are overwhelmed by toxic mold fear includes:
fatigue, mental fog, forgetfulness, dizziness, lack of mental focus, and insomnia. All these symptoms appear to be related because doctors I have spoken with have confirmed that the above conditions are commonly triggered by depression, stress, and anxiety.

 

MOLD AND ONLINE MISINFORMATION

Stressed out people exposed all day to mold, or the idea that they may have mold can become negatively affected by online media. They tend to read Facebook chat group stories, and non-scientific online articles about toxic mold. Some online information on mold is good information, some Facebook information on mold is good information. Way too much of the mold information online and in Facebook and other social media chat groups is inaccurate. Mold information online is often inaccurate due to being written by people who have no experience or expertise in the field. Sometimes mold health effects are exaggerated or made up by online bloggers trying to sell mold related products or services, then this information spreads like a cancer. Much toxic mold information online is taken out of the original scientific studies context. Some of the information is written by people in India who are paid to write articles for bloggers and websites. Many very smart people including scientist and doctors come from India. However, I am not talking about smart experts in India, I am talking about low paid writers who have no knowledge of what they are writing. Many of these paid writers have no clue as to what they are writing. Sometimes you can tell it was written by in India because of one or two British words worked into the article. For some reason no one seems to question if online information is true or not. In our modern society we seem to believe medical information just because someone wrote it online and said it is truth.

My goal is not to convince you of any medical facts. My goal is to just guide you to not let fear of mold overwhelm you, and my goal is to encourage you to question what online information you believe.

Reading the wrong scary information causes more stress. Often the stress from reading about and worrying about mold is more debilitating than the upper respiratory problems and other health problems the actual mold causes. Be cautions and do not get pulled into excessive reading of misleading online information about toxic mold and your health. For some non bias information on toxic mold click here, 

or click here 

or here 

 

MOLD AND TRUSTWORTHY INFORMATION SOURCES

There is plenty of good and helpful information on mold and your health. The best information on mold and your health is from:
The Centers for Disease Control.
The New York City Department of Health,
they discuss mold and health starting on page 16 of the document.

And The Environmental Protection Agency also has information on mold and your health.

And many Universities like this University, and this University and this one as well
all have easy to understand information on mold and health.

The above articles are written in a simple manner, but are based on information provided by smart men and women who have masters degrees and PHD’s in industrial hygiene, toxicology, public health, microbiology, and chemistry. The above articles are based on information provided by people who put in years or decades of hard work and studies at institutions such as the Harvard School of Public Health, and other prestigious places of study. Some of the information is from people who have conducted studies in labs. Some of the information is also from respected people who have worked in the field as mold remediators, mold consultants, and IAQ consultants.

Many of the people who provide information to such non-bias Government sites and University sites are doctors who will never make money from you if you get sick from mold. The articles on such sites were written by scientists and doctors who have done studies, and who have done studies on those studies. They publish peer reviews literature so you know they are not making stuff up and pulling one over on you. Last but not least such sources of information are put out by people who are not trying to scare you so their friend, a local guy who a few years ago was in a completely different and unrelated field can come along later and sell you a cure for a poison you may not have been affected by.

 

IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, some people who have been exposed to mold are dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression type symptoms. We cannot say that mold certainty caused these problems. However, it may be that the fear and worry over mold is what caused the stress or anxiety.

Stressed people often do not hire the good non-bias mold inspectors, mold doctors, and mold remediators. Such people are vulnerable to mold inspectors, mold doctors, and mold remediator that feed on people’s fears and temporarily weekend emotional state. Such people may lose an open mind to the common sense presented by honest and reliable sources.
Stressed people are attracted to scary sources and fear mongers who reinforce their fears. Next, they lose all their money to the people who scared and weaken them. So stay away from scary online stories if you are stressed out by mold. Instead, read some of the information in the links above. If you feel you have a mold problem hire a non-bias mold inspector who only does mold inspections, and who cannot make money of of your fears.  We do mold inspections in South Florida.  

Mold inspectors found here and who are certified indoor environmentalist or certified indoor environmental consultants may be good inspectors, but you have to determine on an inpector by inspector basis is they only do mold inspections and thus have no conflict of interes. If yhey do inspections and removal they have a conflict of interest and might not be the best choice for you at this time.

Nothing in this article should be considered as a medical or psychological diagnosis and advice. These are not the words or a medial professional. Go to your medical professional for medical diagnosis or help. This article is just the observations and opinions of a mold inspector based on dealing with many people in the situations discussed.

Information and opinions provided by Daryl Watters of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service. Providing mold inspections since 2003. Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant and Stated Licensed Mold Assessor with no conflict of interest.