hi, welcome, I am also gay. If you have narc you will feel better after treatment. Your mental problems might even get better. I found out I was never depressed just tired.

Hi Shlay welcome to the group. It's a very general question you're asking, and commonly asked, but we've had a few new members lately asking about the same, so if you have a look through the discussions you will find so much more info.

Thank you for your replies. I will have to look through other posts.

I thought my sleep doc was wacked-out when he first mentioned narcolepsy. My referring doc had only mentioned sleep apnea. I totally panicked when I later got the diagnosis after the sleep study. This group has been a tremendous help...I do feel better and function better now-though it took some time and trial and error to get here.

hi Shlay.
dont be scared of having narcolepsy. i find it more of a pain in the backside more than anything lol and ive had for my whole life more or less so i dont know what it is like to not be tired all the time. im still learning about it from other people and forums but that is only because the internet wasnt around when i was diagnosed.
if it turns out you do have narcolepsy then you will be prescribed meds that helps the symptoms and lots of naps. but basically its up to you to not give in to it and learn and make life adjustments to help. try to not let it get you down and stay positive even tho some days are bad. and keep coming to places like this!! like i said im still learning from these places all the time and im really grateful for the help i get here. at least now i know im not alone there is always people that know how you feel here.
good luck
clare

I agree with Isismehtet, having narcolepsy can definately be a drag, but it develops so gradually that you have already been trying to cope with it for a long time. Once you can put a name to it and get advice from others and try to find helpful meds life will get easier. We think I had it since I was a kid, but until this past Feb I didn't know what narcolepsy was. Now I have been diagnosed just over a month and am still working on finding the right meds, but it is so much easier to manage your symptoms when you know what is causing them. I used to sleep too long at night and take really long naps and not be rested, but now I know about 9 hours a night is plenty and 2 -15 min naps during the day is much more helpful than a single 2 hour one, and it gives me more time to do things. I felt nervous too, but now you will be able to have more info to help yourself feel better and enjoy things more!
I also had more luck with better napping and exercise than with meds alone. The meds are helpful, but lifestyle is really important too.

hear hear - what those guys said! :-)

don't give in to it. if you can get a structure in your lifestyle you will find it so much easier, you can't rely on the meds to give you the energy and lifestyle you dream of, that won't happen and it could really bring you down.

you have to get a routine and accept that there are some times of the day when you just can't function, and that is when you must nap.

and don't take too much upon yourself, if you struggle to work full-time then cut back your hours, and don't take on too much outside of work, like a really heavy college course or anything. you need to learn to pace yourself

Good advice from others here... Xyremhappy makes a good point about the other problems actually being related to Narcolepsy. I struggled for years with doctors telling me I was depressed and anxious with pseudoseizures that were really just migraines, cataplexy and narcolepsy. I hope that if you get this diagnosis you can find more information-- you'd be surprised what is all related and how little things can make such a positive difference (like for me, knowing that a nap--or just laying quietly-- for about 10 minutes can get me going again for a few hours at the right intervals. Or taking something like Methylphenidate or Modafinil in the morning and able to get through until 6 pm when we normally couldn't. Or realizing that something is cataplexy... and then learning how to handle it like falling correctly).

Knowing what it is, having people to share the experience with here and being able to work with your doctor in a team (now that you can both be educated) is a great combo to take what can be a very debilitating condition and be able to live with it. Not only that, but finding the right combination of meds, support and lifestyle can make such a huge difference it can seem like N is such a small part of life :)

Don't be scared. We're all here if you need us. Chances are, someone will always know what you're talking about, be able to give advice, or just be able to make you feel like you're not alone.

I was just diagnosed in December.

I had been dealing with Narcolepsy (unknowingly) forEVER, but I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and even PTSD at one point or another. It was honestly a relief to finally pinpoint what was wrong that could explain most, if not all, of my health issues. I mean, in my head, it was much more logical that I had one major thing going on/wrong with me than several unrelated issues...

Despite the fact that Narcolepsy seems completely normal to me--the one who has been living with it for years and years, I still have moments when I'm driving or after I leave a conversation with a "normal" person who I've mentioned it to and think, "Woah! I have NARCOLEPSY! That is sooo WEIRD!" haha. I imagine that's what it's like from the other side. I mean, it really isn't something people hear every day I guess :)

Thank you all for your responses. I will know more after I see my psych doc and ask about the medication I'm on and when I see my sleep doc again on the 3rd.