Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
**I posted this in the bipolar support group as well, but wondered what anyone thought in here.**
Very few, if anyone here now probably remembers me, but I was here three or four years ago. It was a tremendous help to me and I have gone this entire time without a single episode!
Not unlike many other bipolar patients, I went through a couple of periods where I wasn't that great at taking my meds. I continued to do well and about six months ago or so, I began to wonder if I was misdiagnosed and so I stopped taking my meds.
I have never had extreme mania. My episodes have pretty much always been extreme depression or panic attacks. Just this last Friday, I was moving from my hometown (of over 30 years) to a location a little over an hour away for a new job, new marriage and new home. I was feeling just fine (except for pain in my lower left kidney) from earlier that morning. It was difficult for me to take deep breaths. As I began driving ahead of the movers, I began feeling numbness and then a tingling in my fingers. That spread up my arms, then to my face and head. Eventually, my jaw began locking and my tongue became very thick. I pushed OnStar and they called an ambulance. I calmed a bit on the way, but had another episode identical to that at the hospital.
I was deathly afraid I was having a stroke. Fortunately, that was not the case. The CT scan showed that I had a very small kidney stone and the worst of that was likely over and it would pass probably without any major pain.
I'm not worried about the stone, but ever since this episode, I have felt the old depressive feelings coming back. I wake up anxious and worried and go through the day tired and thinking the worst about everything. It's hard to be happy. I eventually pick up a little, but it starts all over again.
I've started back on my anti-depressant, but wanted to hold off on the mood stabilizer I used to have because I'm afraid that I'm not bipolar at all, but rather chronically depressed.
I realize I should be talking to a Psychiatrist about this (and I most likely will) but it seems my problems are always depression and not mania.
Thoughts and discussion are appreciated.
I suppose my disclaimer should be that I'm not feeling just terrible right now. This is pretty light, but it's recognizable as depression. I'm getting the anti-depressant going again so perhaps it can get to work before things get any worse. (I know it takes a few weeks.)
Very few, if anyone here now probably remembers me, but I was here three or four years ago. It was a tremendous help to me and I have gone this entire time without a single episode!
Not unlike many other bipolar patients, I went through a couple of periods where I wasn't that great at taking my meds. I continued to do well and about six months ago or so, I began to wonder if I was misdiagnosed and so I stopped taking my meds.
I have never had extreme mania. My episodes have pretty much always been extreme depression or panic attacks. Just this last Friday, I was moving from my hometown (of over 30 years) to a location a little over an hour away for a new job, new marriage and new home. I was feeling just fine (except for pain in my lower left kidney) from earlier that morning. It was difficult for me to take deep breaths. As I began driving ahead of the movers, I began feeling numbness and then a tingling in my fingers. That spread up my arms, then to my face and head. Eventually, my jaw began locking and my tongue became very thick. I pushed OnStar and they called an ambulance. I calmed a bit on the way, but had another episode identical to that at the hospital.
I was deathly afraid I was having a stroke. Fortunately, that was not the case. The CT scan showed that I had a very small kidney stone and the worst of that was likely over and it would pass probably without any major pain.
I'm not worried about the stone, but ever since this episode, I have felt the old depressive feelings coming back. I wake up anxious and worried and go through the day tired and thinking the worst about everything. It's hard to be happy. I eventually pick up a little, but it starts all over again.
I've started back on my anti-depressant, but wanted to hold off on the mood stabilizer I used to have because I'm afraid that I'm not bipolar at all, but rather chronically depressed.
I realize I should be talking to a Psychiatrist about this (and I most likely will) but it seems my problems are always depression and not mania.
Thoughts and discussion are appreciated.
I suppose my disclaimer should be that I'm not feeling just terrible right now. This is pretty light, but it's recognizable as depression. I'm getting the anti-depressant going again so perhaps it can get to work before things get any worse. (I know it takes a few weeks.)
You are right to talk to a psychiatrist about this; that is the first and best step to take to sort all this out.
Welcome back!
I hope you get healthy again soon. Good to hear you've had a run of good health last couple years. All the best.
Obviously a professional needs to answer your question, but if you're just have the extreme lows without the highs, I would at least question the bipolar idea. It's certainly worth discussing with a trained therapist.