Posted by brynb on September 17, 2012, at 15:36:22
In reply to Re: Depression, depression, depression » brynb, posted by Tomatheus on September 17, 2012, at 15:13:56
> > I'm reading "Why Am I Still Depressed?" by Jim Phelps, MD. He states "one of the most important markers" of bipolar is "depression that keeps coming back." He also claims that people with "true Major Depression" only experience one or two episodes a lifetime. Based on these statements, it seems MANY of us here fall somewhere on the bipolar spectrum.
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> Psychiatrists can spar all they want about whether certain patients have unipolar depression or bipolar depression, but I think that what Phelps says is only so helpful if it doesn't include data showing that those who he deems to be bipolar respond well to mood stabilizers. Personally, my experiences with taking mood stabilizers for what used to be chronic vegetative depression were awful. At best, mood stabilizers have induced a temporary worsening of depressive symptoms. At worst... well, I don't want to go there right now.
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> TomatheusThanks for your feedback, Tomatheus. I feel like the responses reinforce the variations in depressive symptoms and our responses to treatment. Certain stabilizers depress me, others don't. Neurontin, with or without Lexapro, used to make me euphoric, then just straight-up manic (textbook). I try to keep my med cocktail simple, but sometimes, it's not that easy.
-b
poster:brynb
thread:1025873
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120912/msgs/1025900.html