Posted by Elizabeth on November 7, 2001, at 12:19:57
In reply to Re: Atypical Depression Actually Very Typical, posted by SLS on November 6, 2001, at 19:46:48
> That sounds good to me. It might be sort of like double-depression, where a major depressive episode lies on top of chronic dysthymia.
That's me!
> There are some doctors that subscribe to the idea that the course and presentation of mood illness for any one individual can be variable.
I think it's complicated. I posted (in response to you) elsewhere about this, just a few minutes ago: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011104/msgs/83434.html
I would chart out the course of my depression except I'm afraid it would be really long and complicated! Basically I've had some problems all my life (attention deficit, generalized anxiety, and social phobia), episodic major depression started around age 10 or 11, had residual symptoms after the first remission (the residual and major depression got worse with each episode), PTSD at 17, panic disorder at 20, anhedonia-anergia at 21.
> Age 17-20: Chronic severe depression; atypical and melancholic features, severe social anxiety, depressed mood, minor impairments of concentration and memory.
Okay, this is where I get confused: atypical and melancholic at the same time? Or alternating? Mood-reactive or not?
> Elizabeth - In 1982, Fred Quitkin labelled my depression as unipolar "atypical reactive-type with endogenomorphic characteristics". At the time, the term "endogenous" was used as a synonym for "melancholic".
I think it still is in Europe. The mood-reactivity thing is hard to figure out. Atypical depression is always supposed to be mood-reactive, but other people I've met who have atypical depression say that they've hit some lows where they weren't mood-reactive, at least.
> I did experience depressed mood and some melancholic thoughts.
What do you mean by "melancholic thoughts?"
> Although, I was able to laugh and become animated at times, my depressive symptomology did not abate at all.
Mood-reactivity doesn't mean that the depression overall gets better -- just the depressed *mood*.
> This, combined with a criminally positive outlook, confused them both.
Criminally positive? < g >
> I think what they were really looking at was what is now recognized as typical of a chronic bipolar depression.
Which is...?
> I sometimes get the impression that your depression demonstrates both melancholic and atypical features. Perhaps it falls into Nierenberg's "neither" category.
I think it's more "both" than "neither." Really, the basic atypical signs and symptoms aren't there at all, but some of the *associated features* make it look more atypical.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:83164
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011104/msgs/83437.html