Mood Swings..... or not?

[freakedout]

Hi everyone, or rather anyone!

I am just wondering about how people are affected by mood swings. I have been diagnosed with depression and have tried a few different anti-depressants. At the mo I am taking Mirtazapine 45mg and have been for well over a year now. Whilest they are excellent for helping me sleep, and they do give me a 'greedy pig' appetite I am not convinced they do much for my mood.

I find marked fluctuations with my mood, I can be very very suicidally low and other times I can be extremely irritable, anxious and a bit high on energy. I have recently not been taking my anti-depressants properly which could explain mood swings, but even before that, I would say that for the last few years I swing from feeling OK for shortlived periods, to despairing hopeless depression, and other times I feel as though I can conquer the world and be something fantastic like .... err..... a Clinical psychologist, or go to college some 300 miles away to train to be a dance therapist (which is totally unrealistic given I have a husband and children, oh and panic and agoraphobia). I feel that I always have an underlying depression, and my mood generally I would describe as on the low side, but the fluctuations sometimes are really extreme.

I digressed sorry, I just want to know how mood swings affect others. I really believe that my medication is not effective enough or is this a normal presentation of depression and just me being neurotic... again!

I dont like the idea that it is gonna be like this forever. The good times are too few and far between.

Thanks in advance.

Freaky

[Jaco45er]

Hiya Freaky

I don't take meds, but I do have mood swings. My moods used to be more extreme, going from anger and despair, to procastination (friggin long word that, I think it means doing bugger all) to feelings of being able to take on the world, almost too cocky like.

I did wonder if I was bi-polar at one time, but looking back I was suffering badly from anxiety.

My moods got more level when I started to exercise more, and I did notice that a lot of anger went (I used to kick off very easy) whe I was in the gym regular.

I only ever had the S word (sorry, even now I don't like to use it, silly I know lol) a few times, but ironically enough I actually think it was down to meds I tried.

Has your GP shed any light on these mood swings? It would be wrong for me to suggest what you are suffering from, but it does sound like a trait of Bi-polar.

I do hate to hear of people feeling S, it's such a bitch of a feeling, probably the worst, most devastating feeling of them all.

You don't mention if you have had any talk therapy? I always seen meds as just treating the symptoms but indepth therapy tackles the root cause.

Hope today is good day for you.

TC

Jace

[freakedout]

Hi Jaco and tetley thanks for your replies.

I think like yourselves my mood swings may be attributed to anxiety, I do find that if I am not feeling very depressed I am very anxious. I haven't really discussed mood swings with anyone, I tend to focus on my low moods and anxiety. I do see a psychiatrist but he was not keen to change my meds when I last saw him and he feels I am depressed because of my anxiety. I am not convinced, but I am not really in a position to argue with him. I also see a psychologist mainly to address my panic attacks, and avoidance behaviour. I haven't had the chance to discuss mood swings as such.

I did buy an exercise bike a couple of years ago, which is great for chucking all my clothes on!! I dont do any exercise apart from the occasional charging around the house when my energy is high. I dont think for a minute that I am bipolar, but I have wondered if a mood stabiliser might be a better treatment than anti-depressants which don't seem to work. This is partly why I posted this thread, I wondered how other people are.

As for the S word, sorry for bringing that up. I realise it can be disturbing for others to read.

So Jaco, your mood swings have you been told why they happen? and tetley, are you on meds?

Thanks,

Freaky

[Jaco45er]

lol clothes horse

I have never really seeked help to be honest. I would be quick to temper but controllable, I didn't have red mist and go mental ;).

Infact it was the "do nothing, not interested in nothing" that was probably the most disturbing moods.

As I said though, exercise kinda keeps my mood stay on an even keel

Jaco