I told I am depression

I am glad to hear positive results. In my case none of the meds in over 15 years have worked out for me. Well some did work, however depends on job I am working at time. Higher demanding jobs that require more alertness and energy, none of the meds work, yes even weeks, months of various dosages. If job is not so demanding I can stay on meds and be fine. Only option is to find low paying job to stay on meds or no meds and suffer. I hate my mood cycles. Some times I am afraid to be too happy because I knwo the fall will be very hard. Often I feel like giving up. The smallest thing will set me in to depressed mood. Then minutes later I can be very happy again. Like roller coaster ride but I can never get off.
 
IndieVisible said:
I am glad to hear positive results. In my case none of the meds in over 15 years have worked out for me. Well some did work, however depends on job I am working at time. Higher demanding jobs that require more alertness and energy, none of the meds work, yes even weeks, months of various dosages. If job is not so demanding I can stay on meds and be fine. Only option is to find low paying job to stay on meds or no meds and suffer. I hate my mood cycles. Some times I am afraid to be too happy because I knwo the fall will be very hard. Often I feel like giving up. The smallest thing will set me in to depressed mood. Then minutes later I can be very happy again. Like roller coaster ride but I can never get off.
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have you ever considered ect (electroconvulsive therapy)?
 
IndieVisible said:
I am glad to hear positive results. In my case none of the meds in over 15 years have worked out for me. Well some did work, however depends on job I am working at time. Higher demanding jobs that require more alertness and energy, none of the meds work, yes even weeks, months of various dosages. If job is not so demanding I can stay on meds and be fine. Only option is to find low paying job to stay on meds or no meds and suffer. I hate my mood cycles. Some times I am afraid to be too happy because I knwo the fall will be very hard. Often I feel like giving up. The smallest thing will set me in to depressed mood. Then minutes later I can be very happy again. Like roller coaster ride but I can never get off.
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i just read the last four sentences of your post and several things glared out at me. you mentioned that your emotions alternate between depression and extreme happiness. you also mentioned being set off at the smallest thing. i wonder if you're not a "rapid cycler" who cycles between depression and mania? i'm not a doctor, but i do have bipolar I rapid cycling (ultradian) and it sounds like you might have bipolar. (hope this doesn't offend you.)
 
Hear Again said:
i just read the last four sentences of your post and several things glared out at me. you mentioned that your emotions alternate between depression and extreme happiness. you also mentioned being set off at the smallest thing. i wonder if you're not a "rapid cycler" who cycles between depression and mania? i'm not a doctor, but i do have bipolar I rapid cycling (ultradian) and it sounds like you might have bipolar. (hope this doesn't offend you.)
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I am not offended, been called worse. Actually I was once diagnosed with BP long time ago, but other doctors afterwards did not think so. I never had any manic episodes. But I am different then usual depressed people. Those who suffer from depression seem to usually stay depressed for long periods or until treated? For me quick recovery return to normal state where I can enjoy much happiness! Yet in same day I can go back and forth. These moods usually pass from minutes, hours to days at most. Longest was depression for months. I do not see myself as BP. My mood swings are not that dramatic at all. Just seems to be triggered very easily and often for little or no reason.
 
IndieVisible said:
I am not offended, been called worse. Actually I was once diagnosed with BP long time ago, but other doctors afterwards did not think so. I never had any manic episodes. But I am different then usual depressed people. Those who suffer from depression seem to usually stay depressed for long periods or until treated? For me quick recovery return to normal state where I can enjoy much happiness! Yet in same day I can go back and forth. These moods usually pass from minutes, hours to days at most. Longest was depression for months. I do not see myself as BP. My mood swings are not that dramatic at all. Just seems to be triggered very easily and often for little or no reason.
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edited post:

even if your mood swings aren't dramatic, you could still have a very mild form of bipolar called cyclothymia. cyclothymics tend to frequently cycle between mild hypomania (a milder form of mania) and mild depression.

you could also have bipolar II rapid cycling (which is less severe than bipolar I).

bipolar II consists of hypomania and mild depression. people with bipolar II do not experience full-blown manic episodes like those who have bipolar I.

many people with bipolar II are rapid cyclers meaning that their moods change between hypomania and depression anywhere from minutes to hours to days to weeks to months.

my mood also rapidly shifts between mania (extreme happiness among other things), depression, irritability and agitation within the span of an hour (this is what is called ultradian or ultra-ultra rapid cycling).

by the way, i'm glad you weren't offended. :)
 
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Hear Again said:
even if your moods aren't dramatic, you could still have a milder form of bipolar called bipolar II rapid cycling (which is less severe than bipolar I).

bipolar II consists of milder mania (called hypomania) and mild depression. people with bipolar II do not experience full-blown manic episodes like those who have bipolar I.

many people with bipolar II are rapid cyclers meaning that their moods change between hypomania and depression anywhere from minutes to hours to days to weeks to months.

my mood also rapidly shifts between mania (extreme happiness among other things), depression, irritability and agitation within the span of an hour (this is what is called ultradian or ultra-ultra rapid cycling).

by the way, i'm glad you weren't offended. :)
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Yup sounds similar to what I feel. I can not imagine how your rapid cycles must be! I consider mine bad but prob a walk in the park compared to yours. I too get irrated easily and some times loose my temper and then feel bad how I acted. I was on lithium for awhile and had good memory with it but as u may know has it's draw backs too. The prob is I like to feel very happy. I wish I could feel just that but it comes with a price, I know soon I will feel bad. It is some thing I have managed to work out over the years since my conitition for the most part prob is much milder then others may experience. Except for the depression, though shorter in span, that part is just as severe. Nice talking to some one who may just know what I go thru!
 
IndieVisible said:
Yup sounds similar to what I feel. I can not imagine how your rapid cycles must be! I consider mine bad but prob a walk in the park compared to yours. I too get irrated easily and some times loose my temper and then feel bad how I acted. I was on lithium for awhile and had good memory with it but as u may know has it's draw backs too. The prob is I like to feel very happy. I wish I could feel just that but it comes with a price, I know soon I will feel bad. It is some thing I have managed to work out over the years since my conitition for the most part prob is much milder then others may experience. Except for the depression, though shorter in span, that part is just as severe. Nice talking to some one who may just know what I go thru!
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boy, do i know how you feel! after my mania passes, i REALLY, REALLY miss it! i love my manias because when i'm manic i have a ton of energy, i feel euphoric, on top of the world, sharp as a tack, have loads of creativity and can be very, very productive in a short amount of time.

many people with bipolar love their mania and miss it when it is gone. it's not unusual for those who are manic not to share this information with their pdoc for fear of a med adjustment (i.e. increase or complete change) destroying their mania.

i've been manic for the past several weeks and have been rapid cycling between mania, depression, irritability, agitation and "normalcy." just when i have a sense of "normalcy," the cycling starts all over again.

rapid cycling can be very exhausting -- so much so that i can hardly keep up with myself.

it is said that rapid cycling bipolar is the most difficult to treat out of all the different types of bipolar (cyclothymia, bipolar I, bipolar II, bipolar III, soon to be added to the dsm-v: bipolar IV, bipolar NOS, rapid cycling, schizoaffective bipolar type).

by the way, i used to be on lithium back in the early 90s. my tdoc suspects that i may have been bipolar back then (since I exhibited many of the symptoms of bipolar, but did not know this since i was unfamiliar with the illness), but lithium didn't do anything for my depression.
 
IndieVisible said:
Your secret is safe with me ;)
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:cool2:

same here. :)

by the way, if you ever want to share experiences or have further questions about bipolar, feel free to send me a pm anytime. i've been living with bipolar since 2006 and have done a good deal of research about the illness ever since.
 
i'd like to say something. i know i tried to diagnose indievisible, but that was wrong of me because i'm not a doctor. (i tend to get caught up in trying to help others who are showing similar symptoms to the ones i experience.)

i'd like to strongly encourage anyone who thinks they are depressed or have another mental illness to see a psychiatrist and/or therapist for an evaluation.

after all, none of us here on ad are doctors.

i apologize for my part in trying to make a diagnosis when i shouldn't have.
 
No worries Hear Again. Ironically you are probably closer to the truth then all the doctors I seen over the past 16 years! They were all "book" doctors themselves and simply asked a few questions and wrote a script.

But you are correct in advising real diagnosis, even if they are simply book worms with a doctors degree. At least they can write scripts :)
 
IndieVisible said:
No worries Hear Again. Ironically you are probably closer to the truth then all the doctors I seen over the past 16 years! They were all "book" doctors themselves and simply asked a few questions and wrote a script.

But you are correct in advising real diagnosis, even if they are simply book worms with a doctors degree. At least they can write scripts :)
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thanks! i'm glad i could help! :)
 
I am glad you said "smile", Travis. I hope you are feeling a lot better.:)
 
smithtr said:
Thanks you so much support to counsellor smile.
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You're very welcome, Travis and we all would like to see you to continue by going to see a counselor. It sounds like you're getting there. :)
 
smithtr said:
Thanks you so much support to counsellor smile.
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Good to know you are getting support and help you need , stay strong keep your chin up high and know someone loves you no matter what . You will do fine you have alot of years to look forward to .God Bless :wave:
 
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