Posted by polarbear206 on April 15, 2002, at 10:01:38
In reply to Re: Cyclothymia mood stabilizers » Sarena, posted by GeoffW on April 15, 2002, at 8:54:18
> > Hi, I'm new to this message board and am mildly unsure as to what it is all about. I stumbled ...it can be treated without therepy or medication. I'm also looking for other individuals who could share their experiences with this with me. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Hi My name is Geoff, I'm early 40s and live in the UK. I have what I think is cyclothymia, and have had it since my teens. The only treatment I am given at the moment is 20mg of fluoxetine (generic name for our old friend Prozac). This helps alot with mood stabilising and energy levels but I don't consider it makes me "normal". I've had about 1 and a half years' counselling which helps to deal with the ups and downs and the apparent external causes of mood shifts, but am not fully convinced that this is a purely cognitive as opposed to an organic condition. I manage to hold down a job most of the time, and have a family too, but I'm pretty difficult to live with when not on medication(!)
> The hardest part is coping not just with the mood swings, but with my continually changing attitudes to everything - what or whoever seemed brilliant one day is boring or unattractive the next
> A good book on the mood disorders is "A Mood Apart" by Peter Whybrow, an academic and one of the few professionals that actually seems to recognise this condition. The consensus seems to be that a combination of therapy & medication is the best approach. I haven't tried any of the "alternative" approaches, but have read alot of the self-help literature on depression. Little of this appears to be relevant to rapid mood cycling though. Hope this helps. Would be happy to hear more about your own experiences.
Geoff,
Hi! I also suffer from a mild form of bipolar disorder. You need to explore mood stablizers to find some balance in your life. Antidepressants used alone or in high doses can EXACERBATE your mood cycle. A good book to read is "Why your depression isn't getting better" By Michael R. Bartos MD. It's about the epidemic of undiagnosed bipolar spectrum disorders. I have been like this since my son was born 13 years ago. I also had some mild depression as a teen. I tried Lithium and Depakote in the past and didn't work out. I'm on Lamictal now and it's working very well!! There are very well educated people on this board who can give you good advice. I'm positive that you will find the right cocktail of meds to find peace and balance with your life!! I'm also 41 and a psychiatric nurse of all things. I feel very passionate about proper diagnosis and treatment. Educate yourself about your illness as much as possible. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Laura.
poster:polarbear206
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020408/msgs/103115.html