Posted by peddidle on April 25, 2007, at 20:23:18
In reply to Re: Anxiety and dysthymia » peddidle, posted by cubic_me on April 21, 2007, at 16:57:04
> Ofcourse you don't have to feel depressed all the time to have depression, though I know how it feels to think you should (otherwise you might feel like you aren't "really" depressed). The clinical definition of depression includes persistant low mood, that doesn't preclude it from fluctuating a little. If you fluctuate enough you might be called cyclothymic or bipolar, but it doesn't mean the depression you feel during the down times is any less intense than someone who's down all the time.
> I don't know about you, but when I'm doing something engrosing, the suicidal thoughts seem further away, but when schoolwork is tough and not really what I'm interested it can make any emotion I'm feeling more intense, especially depression or ideation.
**Exactly. Like when I was working on my [oddly enough] psychology project, I was really interested in it and focused on it. But when I'm trying to do work that I'm not really interested in for another class, the thoughts keep popping up and I can't concentrate at all. >
> >>
> Your T sounds lovely, if you need her or the health centre, please use them, that's what they're there for and they want to help. I can understand about not wanting to get too attached at this stage of term, I was like that too, but if you can get a couple of really useful or insightful sessions in before the vacation it can help to carry you through.**Haha "lovely" is a word she would never use to describe herself, along with "lady," but you're right-- she is amazing.
I ended up going in for the half hour on Monday. It was fine, I just feel bad about keeping her there after the office is closed, especially because my last couple of sessions have run over 30-50 minutes
>
> That sounds like a really good idea, it's worth asking if she's able to put something in place for you.
>**I haven't mentioned it yet. I'm going to say I'll do it tomorrow, but knowing me, I probably won't.
>
> Have you talked to your T about your anxiety? There might be some things you can do before you start taking meds for it, like insight work, relaxation, breathing techniques etc.
>>
> I'm dysthymic and still have good days sometimes. Do you find you can seem happy on the outside, even feel happy to some extent, but have something inside you that's still really sad or depressed? Or are you truely happy? I think that goes part of the way to explaining whether you are dysthymic or cyclothymic, but really a diagnosis is just a label and doesn't change who you are inside. I felt I had to put on fake happiness to many, and fake sadness to a few sometimes, for fear of them thinking I was something I wasn't, and it felt like lying. It was always something I was too scared to discuss with my T, but I wish I had. I'm sure she'd have understood.**There are times that I seem happy on the outside, and even to some extent on the inside, but there is always something inside me that doesn't feel right... not exactly depressed, though there are those times too, I don't really know how to explain it.
I want to talk to my T about so many things, but when the time comes, I'm just silent. I talked to her about this recently, because she told me that, based on how frustrated she is, she knows it's only a fraction of how frustrated I am. That's when I was able to express to her that it's more about not being able, or not knowing how, to tell her things, more than not wanting to.
>
> Mixeed anxiety and depression is really common, and depression with associated anxiety is too. If you're anxiety is something that's bothering you or affecting your life, it's definately worth having a chat to your T or doc about if you can.
>**I'm sure she's noticed already, because I have these weird habits when I'm anxious or stressed out. The worst one is that I kind of yawn a lot. It's not exactly yawning, it's more like I have to take a deep breath, but if it's not deep enough I have to do it again. I'm sure I'm not explaining it well, but it's very weird. I think I might bring it up again tomorrow though.
Thank you so much for your responses, they were really helpful.
poster:peddidle
thread:751683
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20070419/msgs/753411.html