Born in 1955. My first depression was when I was in 2nd grade. Quiet until early teenage when I tried to overdose on a Friday, woke on Sunday and no one noticed. I never told anyone except my tdoc. Had a fairly stable adulthood, just intermittent hypomania that I didn't recognize but can see looking back now. My husband left and three months later my daughter died 1992 and I became suicidal/depressed. Was hospitalized for a month. Followed with a 2 year depression. Saw a good tdoc and pdoc. Had 3 suicide attempts at OD. Recovered and then went to grad school and had intermittent periods of what I thought was anxiety but was hypomania about every 3 to 4 months. In 2000 became depressed again... for 2 years again even with treatment. I had to leave work for 1 1/2 semesters (I was a professor), returning to work part-time for one semester and lasted about four weeks after I started teaching again. I have been on disability ever since. I continue to have episodes of both depression (primarily) and some hypomania. Have been hospitalized about 15 times, the last time was 18 days starting just before the 4th of July so I had to tell my mother that I was hospitalized and couldn't come to visit. Currently have ECT maintenance about every 2 weeks. Started Emsam, an MAOI after I was hospitalized. Now taking Emsam, Lamotrigine, Propranolol, Abilify, Ambien, Klonopin and Vytorin (for high cholesterol).