Posted by JohnX2 on June 2, 2002, at 22:50:15
In reply to Re: rediagnosis: bipolar II » bonnie, posted by Chris A. on June 2, 2002, at 21:13:36
> In a consult ten years ago the expert PDoc referred to an "unstable mood disorder." That's honestly the most accurate diagnosis I have ever had. We are all so different and the classifications don't say everything. The bottom line is that most anyone with a mood disorder that is unstable can benefit from a mood stabilizer. ADs are more disruptive of homeostatic mechanisms - all of those feedback loops that keep our whole system in balance. That's why, in simple terms, some of us end up a whole lot more depressed as a result of having taken an AD. Prozac started out feeling good for several months, then I became irritably hypomanic, and then crashed into a depression that has taken years to resolve. My formal dx is mixed state bipolar, which technically fits under Bipolar I. My hubby will vouch that I don't fit the definition of having had a true manic episode and that BP II is a better description. Sometimes it's a matter of technicalities. I think we need to look at the larger picture. In my prejudice, I consider mood stabilzers much safer than ADs. Hope you're able to sort this out.
>
> Chris A.Chris A,
Nice write up.
My experience with mood stabilizers has been filled with
so much more joy than with ADs. They don't make me
feel like "someone else" like the ADs sometimes seem
to be forcing on me.John
poster:JohnX2
thread:108402
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020602/msgs/108489.html