My Past and Present with Mood Disorders
Having lived with many mood disorders (they have been re-diagnosed several times) for most of my life, I have had the distinct pleasure of trying several medications. It’s amazing what one will do to try and feel “normal”. I have been on a multitude of SSRIs (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors), including:
Luvox
Effexor
Prozac
Zoloft
In the same antidepressant category (but not an SSRI), I have taken Wellbutrin. On the mood stabilizer side of the meds, I have taken lithium and am now starting to take Lamotrigine. For anxiety, I have been prescribed Clonazepam, Valium, and Xanax. It has been my experience that, over the years, having researched all of the different drugs available, I have found that it can be very difficult to find others experiences with the medications outside of a listing of side effects you would likely find on the drug manufacturer’s website.
I cannot even begin to explain how many changes have taken place in my life as a direct result of the different medications I have been prescribed. Due to this, I find a true need for more experience-based reports on what these medications do. I believe that there is a large under-representation of personal experience in the overall dialogue of mood medications; although a substantial breadth of this information is informative and accurate, it does not speak to the personal experience of the person taking the meds.
Here is a quick rundown of the disorders I have been told that I have over the course of the last 7 years or so:
Unipolar depression
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Bipolar II (the most recent)
Panic Disorder
I even had one doctor suggest that I may suffer from borderline personality disorder. In the land of psychiatry/psychology, the DSM IV is regarded as the bible for diagnosing mental illness(es). All of the before-mentioned disorders are related because of similar characteristics, and are often occurring as comorbid conditions, meaning you can have more than one of these at the same time. This makes it difficult to get your diagnosis correct prior to building a relationship with a doctor. Many times, a second or third opinion can be extremely beneficial.
The most common mood disorders are:
Dysthymic Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder
Bipolar I
Bipolar II
Cyclothymia
I plan on bringing a slightly different approach to the dialogue on mood disorders. Some of the information that I cover may fall a little outside the narrow scope of meds, but it all ties to the human experience of discovering your mood disorders and understanding how treatment affects your life. Some disorders that are not considered classic mood disorders may also be covered; this is simply because I am willing to bet that several readers of this site will no doubt expeience symptoms of anxiety or psychotic disorders, as well, and there is much overlap in the medications used to treat each of these. Additionally, it is worth exploring treatment options that are not related to medicine, per se. Stay tuned for more in-depth info on mood meds, treatment options, experiences and more, right here on MoodMeds.
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