Been dx as bipolar 2.

[Rachelee]

Hi, im a 54 yo SAHM with a 14 yo boy. I've been suffering with major depression for at least a full year. Just yesterday my psychiatrist tells me she thinks I may have bipolar 2! I don't care what I have I just want to feel better. I've been on 12 different antidepressants in as many months! When will it end? I had three good weeks up until about 4 days ago and then I dropped back down into my own personal hell. I should clarify. I have had depression my whole life but it was being treated with Zoloft and until that pooped out I was doing just fine. About a year ago in January I became deeply deeply depressed almost suicidal and then my journey began. Up down up down mostly down. I don't know how to live this way. I just wanted to reach out and hopefully connect with others who are going through the same thing so I don't feel so alone. Depression is still so stigmatized so most of my family and my very few friends that I do have don't even know. I even went so far as to get treated with IV ketamine! Sadly it did not work. Right now I'm on three antidepressant and one mood stabilizer. Does it ever get better?

[Sprinkle1]

I feel for you, I have battled depression and mood swings most of my life since childhood. I am now 76 and just come out of a trip into hell, severe anxiety and deep depression, suicidal. When I was 58 I found a psychiatrist, he diagnosed me as Bipolar 11, he put me on Lithium and Zoloft (I had been on Prozac - built up a tolerance to it), also thyroid med. as Lithium can pull down our thyroid. I felt so well and calmed down. Eventually, I built up a tolerance to the Zoloft and my Dr. wanted me off the Lithium because of my age. Then I started on hospital stays and misery. Thru a friend I got a psychiatrist (I had moved from Calif. to S.C.) and he tried me on different meds, the finally put me on Viibryd 10 mg for l week 20 mg after that, also on 5 mg Zyprexa. That worked and I have been feeling like my old self now for about 9 weeks, so I am praying this week keep me going til my natural end.

I think the negative attitude toward depression is changing, and I love all the commercials on TV, I saw one for Bipolar recently so the word is getting out there. Talk to your Dr. about the med's I have listed, perhaps they would work for you also. I wish you well and send you love and peace. Sprinkle 1....xx

[kvolm2016]

Hi Rachelee, Sorry to hear that this year has been such a rollercoaster with the medication experiments. I am sure this has been especially difficult to tolerate after having had such prolonged success with the Zoloft. Did your psychiatrist indicate what aspects of the bipolar diagnosis he/she sees in you? Have you had time to look at the info on bipolar 2 to see if this seems like an accurate diagnosis to you?

[kvolm2016]

Hi Rachelee, thought I would check back to see how you are doing this week