Posted by blueberry1 on December 15, 2006, at 18:19:33
In reply to Anxiety Coming and Going?, posted by bigpopper on December 15, 2006, at 16:05:44
There seems to be some cycling going on here. It might be a good start to keep a daily diary of anxiety, depression, or whatever and see what kind of pattern it follows. Maybe try to think back if you can to find out if there is any regularity to the pattern or whether it just pops up without any regularity?
I keep reading in various web searches how bipolar issues are mistaken as unipolar issues. Swings in anxiety or depression or agitation or whatever, for no apparent reason, can be subtle signs. One thing that makes the cycling worse is antidepressants. They can increase the rate of cycling and the intensity. Increased anxiety or agitation from two different antidepressant trials is another hint. Some psychiatrists say the first thing to do is get the patient off of antidepressants and onto mood stabilizers instead. In your case maybe one with anti-anxiety qualities like depakote.
And things like hormones, the moon, and whatever else are possible. My Dad was a doctor and said when it was around full moon it was very hectic. And though women go through monthly hormonal cycles, I'll bet some men have fluctuating hormones too.
In any case it might be a good first step to track your anxiety attacks to see if there is a predictable pattern. That might help identify what it is. But even if you do or don't identify a pattern, what to do about it? Take a benzo during those times? Start depakote or other mood stabilizer? I don't know. Psychiatry is so hard because we are all so different.
Anyway, just some ideas to ponder and put on the back burner to think about.
poster:blueberry1
thread:713987
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061212/msgs/714032.html