Hi My2kids, I too was first diagnosed with Major Depression and treated by my old family doctor with an antidepressant. I kept slowly getting worse and my new family doctor sent me to a neuropsychologist who, after testing sent me to a psychiatrist. I was so tired of doctors, tests and the antidepressant that didn't seem to help. My psychiatrist (Pdoc) took me off the Paxil and started me on a low dose of Cymbalta--another antidepressant while coming off the paxil. It was the worst 4 weeks of my life while we got the dose right and got the paxil out of my system. BUT it was worth it once we finally added lamictal and later seroquel, again fairly low doses. I am so much better, pretty stable with just occasional mild depressive or hypomanic swings. If your "depressed state" is full of energy along with the irritability, you might ask the psychologist if you might fit the description for cyclothymia or some form of bipolar. You sound alot like what I went through, but I'm no doctor. I have cyclothymia which is a milder type of Bipolar II disorder. It can still kick the living daylights out of someone even though its supposed to be "milder". Hope you find a proper diagnosis and treatment. Be totally honest with your new doc--don't hide anything if you can manage it. Also, my doc said that the journal I keep of my moods and thoughts has helped him tremendously in figuring out how to help me. I bring my notes every visit and he reads them and then we discuss what he thinks is significant. Its been an awesome tool because I tend to forget the details between visits. I hope this helps. I wish you wellness, Journey