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Suggest Remedy To Overcome Bipolar Disorder And Depression
I think I may be bipolar. I am in a deep depression right now . I spoke with my family doctor over a month ago and spoke with a counselor then also. At that point I only told them about being depressed. My husband is the one who had read something about bipolar disorder and brought it to my attention. His exact words were, " as soon as I read this I thought of you". How do I approach this? I don't have another appointment with this counselor for a month and right now the mess still have not helped my depression and I just don't know how to let them know that we think this may be bigger then just depression.
Wed, 20 Aug 2014
Hello and welcome to Healthcare magic.
First of all let me assure you that, you don't seem to have as much of a "DEEP" depression as you are afraid of. Having good insight about your illness, being very much receptive about professional help, concerned about once mental well being, all are good prognostic indicators in depression.
If you were my patient I would recommend you to do a Thyroid function test, as hypothyroidism can be a cause for atypical manifestations of depression especially in middle aged females.
All what you might need is counseling, good sound sleep and relaxation .
I would recommend you to wait for your sessions with your counselor, who will spend time with you and help you.
Maintain good food, adequate hydration, ensure sleep hygiene, and do some relaxation techniques.
Hope I have answered your queries. Feel free to write if you need further clarifications. Get well soon.
First of all let me assure you that, you don't seem to have as much of a "DEEP" depression as you are afraid of. Having good insight about your illness, being very much receptive about professional help, concerned about once mental well being, all are good prognostic indicators in depression.
If you were my patient I would recommend you to do a Thyroid function test, as hypothyroidism can be a cause for atypical manifestations of depression especially in middle aged females.
All what you might need is counseling, good sound sleep and relaxation .
I would recommend you to wait for your sessions with your counselor, who will spend time with you and help you.
Maintain good food, adequate hydration, ensure sleep hygiene, and do some relaxation techniques.
Hope I have answered your queries. Feel free to write if you need further clarifications. Get well soon.
I find this answer helpful
Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.
I understand that you are going through a difficult time due to your depression. Now, for a person to be diagnosed as Bipolar disorder, there should be episodes of both depression as well as mania / hypomania. So, even if you are currently going through a depressive episode, if you have suffered at least one episode of mania / hypomania in the past, then your diagnosis would change to Bipolar disorder.
However, you need to have a detailed psychological assessment by a psychiatrist in order to confirm this diagnosis. Merely having mood swings frequently does not necessarily mean that you have a bipolar disorder. There should be clearly defined epidodes of depression or mania / hypomania in order to make the diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then you need to be started on a mood stabilizing medication like Lithium, Valproate, etc. So, I would suggest that you fix an appointment with a psychiatrist for a detailed evaluation and further treatment.
Wish you all the best.
Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MBBS., DPM., MRCPsych.(U.K.)
Consultant Psychiatrist
I understand that you are going through a difficult time due to your depression. Now, for a person to be diagnosed as Bipolar disorder, there should be episodes of both depression as well as mania / hypomania. So, even if you are currently going through a depressive episode, if you have suffered at least one episode of mania / hypomania in the past, then your diagnosis would change to Bipolar disorder.
However, you need to have a detailed psychological assessment by a psychiatrist in order to confirm this diagnosis. Merely having mood swings frequently does not necessarily mean that you have a bipolar disorder. There should be clearly defined epidodes of depression or mania / hypomania in order to make the diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then you need to be started on a mood stabilizing medication like Lithium, Valproate, etc. So, I would suggest that you fix an appointment with a psychiatrist for a detailed evaluation and further treatment.
Wish you all the best.
Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MBBS., DPM., MRCPsych.(U.K.)
Consultant Psychiatrist
I find this answer helpful
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