Posted by Racer on August 6, 1999, at 20:46:44
In reply to Severely depressed and wanting feed-back, posted by Cass on August 6, 1999, at 20:30:13
With so much going on, it hardly matters what the root cause of your mood swings is, what matters is that you give yourself space and permission to be upset by it all. Don't pressure yourself to be level and perfect through all of this. That's what jumped out at me from your story.
Other than that, I'd say that you could do worse than talking to your doctor about whether you might be bipolar, in which case there are newer mood stabilizers out there now that might help you without the drawbacks of lithium. I think some of them also lack the weight gain tendencies in lithium, as well. Talk to your doctor about ADs and mood stabilizers, and see what comes of it. You may have to try a few different combinations to find what works best for you.
Also, don't let your rapid cycling make you believe that you're bipolar without other sources of diagnosis. If you are like me, your depression may lift for a short time, and you may feel during that time as though you're bouncing off the walls, but to the rest of the world you're still well within normal limits. Remember, when you're sinking into the pit of depression, mildly blue still feels manic!
Good luck to you, there's so much going on for your now, but you can do it! We're all rooting for you!
poster:Racer
thread:9705
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990726/msgs/9707.html