Posted by guttersnipe on July 11, 2004, at 2:16:34
In reply to Re: can't choose between celexa, effexor, or paxil, posted by kk on July 9, 2004, at 23:41:47
> -loss of sleep
> -increased desire to cry somtimes for little or no reason
> -laziness
> -get very overwhelemed
> -have so much thoughts rushing through my head that i feel like im having or am having nervous breakdowns
> - think im being watchedHi kk,
Some of those symptoms sound like you might have manic-depression (also known as bipolar disorder), rather than unipolar depression -- especially the insomnia, the racing thoughts, and the belief that you're being watched (paranoia).
I am not diagnosing you, of course -- I'm just offering an observation and a warning. The warning is this: when bipolars/manic-depressives take anti-depressant medications without also taking anti-mania/mood-stabilizer medications, the anti-depressants can cause manic episodes or can cause "mixed states" (which are absolutely hellish experiences in which symptoms of both mania and depression are present). That's what happened to me, and I'm lucky that I lived to tell the story.
You might google something called the "mood disorders questionnaire" and fill out the questionnaire and give it to your doctor so that the two of you can work together to see whether you might be manic-depressive. No matter what your doctor says, it would be a good idea for you to spend 45 minutes or an hour on the internet learning about what the symptoms of mania and the symptoms of mixed states are, so that you'll (maybe) be able to recognize those symptoms in yourself if the anti-depressants cause you to have a manic episode or mixed states. Another thing to keep in mind is that many manic-depressives don't go psychotic with mania -- instead, they have "hypomania" which, to oversimplify a bit, is very much like mania but without any psychotic delusions or hallucinations.
Good luck, and hang in there, OK?
poster:guttersnipe
thread:364256
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040710/msgs/364918.html