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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Thripity on June 16, 2006, at 1:31:21
Hi,
I just recently was diagnosed with Cyclothymia...I'm still having trouble accepting that that's what this is. From what other people have said about Cyclothymia, mine seems to be a little different; for one, mine only usually lasts a day or so for each the depression and hypomanic aspect.
Also, the aspect about being more creative is only somewhat true for me. When I am hypomanic, I have tons and tons of ideas but no focus to sit down and work on anything. When I'm depressed, I simply don't feel up to working on music, and if I do work on something, I immediately decide that it sucks.
Another thing is that when I'm really depressed, like at the lowest point in my depression (which only lasts about a night usually) my arm starts to shake, and there are voices in my head that make it hard to hear what people around me are saying to me...but I can't usually make out most of what the voices are saying..it's just a big bunch of noise.
I don't know if I actually have Cyclothymia or something else. Does anyone else have similar symptoms to these??
Thripity
Posted by Ripley Snell on June 16, 2006, at 17:02:16
In reply to Cyclothymia??? I don't know, posted by Thripity on June 16, 2006, at 1:31:21
>I just recently was diagnosed with Cyclothymia.
*Welcome to the Bipolar II community! (The drawing of the line between the two syndromes is a semantic exercise.)
>mine only usually lasts a day or so for each the depression and hypomanic aspect.
*Cycling is extremely variable in rate, frequency, and duration. Jim Phelps at psycheducation.org has re-published a wonderful, graphic representation of three qualities--let's see if I remember them--mood, drive, and energy. It's quite elucidating to see this graph, because a measurement of those three qualities seems to be able to -- in me, anyway -- get better insight into my illness.
> Also, the aspect about being more creative is only somewhat true for me.
*This is unproven. The creativity thing is for Bipolar I, primarily, and is anyone counting all the incredibly creative people who are NOT Bipolar?
>When I am hypomanic, I have tons and tons of ideas but no focus to sit down and work on anything.
*This is why the medicines for ADD are *excellent* when you're hypomanic. Many pdocs would scream and jump up and down at the idea of giving a stimulant to someone hypomanic. But in me, as in others, it works really well to *focus* the energy and put it to work. I have found that taking a small dose of Seroquel with the stimulant prevents adverse effects--rage attacks, irritability, etc. This idea is very, very new, but if you can find an empowering pdoc you might discover a real benefit to the cycles!
>When I'm depressed, I simply don't feel up to working on music, and if I do work on something, I immediately decide that it sucks.
*Yep. And the ADD meds are much less useful here--I find that I just spend twelve hours fantasizing about how bad I feel and what a numbskull I am.
> Another thing is that when I'm really depressed, like at the lowest point in my depression (which only lasts about a night usually) my arm starts to shake, and there are voices in my head that make it hard to hear what people around me are saying to me...but I can't usually make out most of what the voices are saying..it's just a big bunch of noise.
*Some pdocs say that these sorts of pseudo-psychoses come with Bipolar II (I've never heard them described with cyclothymia). Yet another reason to add in one of the new antipsychotics to the mix.
> I don't know if I actually have Cyclothymia or something else. Does anyone else have similar symptoms to these??
I hope I've established that I do, though my "diagnosis" is BP II. I've got some symptoms you don't--my rage attacks are usually accompanied by mild delusions. ("This waiter is *out to get me* so unless I make a huge fuss he'll go on abusing me and others like me!") This aspect endears me to my friends. :-) You didn't go into your hypomania much more, but watch it. It can just slip under your radar as a "good mood." Two nights ago I was in a really good bookstore for the first time in a while. I got into one of my good moods, and, telling myself I wouldn't be near this particular store again for many months, woke up the next morning with five hundred dollars worth of books in my house. Fortunately, I could return them--but my point is my judgment deserted me and at the time my reckless spending behavior seemed totally rational.
Please check out alt.support.depression.manic and alt.support.depression.manic.moderated.
Posted by Nina78 on June 16, 2006, at 19:40:07
In reply to Re: Cyclothymia??? I don't know » Thripity, posted by Ripley Snell on June 16, 2006, at 17:02:16
Hi Thripity,
Your symptoms sound pretty similar to mine, except from the voices. I was diagnosed Cyclothymic a few months ago. My psychiatrist reason for this diagnose was the duration of my moods. He said to come back when they stick for longer than 2 weeks (mainly referring to the hypomania, as I do have longer depressions sometimes).
Have a look at www.CyclothymiaWorkbook.com It's a great book, I found a very helpfull, and as far as I know, it's the only book dedicated to Cyclothymia.Good Luck!
Posted by Phillipa on June 16, 2006, at 19:58:38
In reply to Re: Cyclothymia??? I don't know, posted by Nina78 on June 16, 2006, at 19:40:07
Sounds like you really need the antipsychotics does your pdoc think the episodes might stop with addition of them. I would save the creative time for your up periods and forget about them when you're in the depressed stage. Love Phillipa
Posted by Thripity on June 17, 2006, at 22:59:38
In reply to Re: Cyclothymia??? I don't know, posted by Phillipa on June 16, 2006, at 19:58:38
I was on Zyprexa, but it didn't seem to be doing anything...so I stopped taking them... I haven't actually seen my doc since come to think of it. It was about a month ago when I last saw him; 3 weeks since I stopped taking the meds, but I was taking them before our last visit.
Ripley, do you just get really paranoid about stuff like your 'waiter' example when you're depressed? 'Cause although i usually am able to stop myself from freaking out at anyone (at work, anyway), I do experience those kinds of irrational thoughts.
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