Posted by SLS on March 11, 2003, at 10:41:58
In reply to Re: For Dr. Bowden: More Q's on BP II » SLS, posted by Ritch on March 11, 2003, at 9:32:48
> > Speaking for myself, there are times and situations in which I become aroused and more animated, but it does not reduce in the slightest the dementia and anhedonia that are most prominent in my case of bipolar disorder.
> Scott, whenever I have my bipolar seasonal depressions (which are very atypical depressive in nature) good/bad news events can change my mood very markedly. In the case of good news making me feel better during a depression it is primarily the *duration* of the positive reaction that is stymied and short-lived. Sometimes it can last a few days, but more often the temporary positive response is just a few hours. I can feel quite good in contrast to how I was previously feeling. It feels kind of like a rubber band that "snaps" me back into my default mood for the time (when it fades).
Hi Mitch.What features or events of your illness demonstrate bipolarity? Can you describe the magnitude and duration of your manic episodes? Have these been in association with medication changes of any kind? Are you definitely SAD? If so, I wonder if it is valid to classify your depression as bipolar proper.
For two years, I was an ultra rapid cycler. As I mentioned above, my cycle was of 8 days of depression followed by 3 days of euthymia. On "switch" day, my mood would change completely within an hour, many times 30 minutes. I know what it feels like to experience a true lifting of depression within a short period of time. At no time do my temporary reactive states of arousal in response to good stuff feel anything like remission, either in quality or magnitude. It is possible that my depression is unusual in this respect.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:205791
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