Experiences with agitated depression?

Hello all!

This is my first post. I have been diagnosed as BP II with GAD. This diagnosis came later in life. All this time I thought the problem was with me personally.

I would like to share my experience with what I term as agitated depression. I would like to compare this to what all of you have experience with this similar state of mind.

I have had agitated episodes that go on for possibly a period of weeks. I feel sad, fatigued, angry, very restless, and easy to irritate into outbursts. When laying down, I do not want to get up. When I have to get up, I am angry about it. This is not how I normally am.

Is this familiar to anyone? Have any of you experienced this type of depressed mood? What are your thoughts on my condition when I experience this "state of mind?

tucson

Oh yes, it is the worst. I hate the extreme irritability. It causes me so many relationship problems.

Thankfully mine don't last as long.

Absolutely! I, too, am diagnosed bipolar 2 with GAD. I pretty much could have written your post. The mixed states/rapid cycling you've described is miserable. Are you on medication?

I am on Fluoxetine, Olanzapine, Buspirone, and Lamictal. I have been recently placed on the Lamictal and have seen some benefit. I hope the benefits continue to improve.

BG

Mixed states are the worst! I find them way worse than regular depression.

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Yes, this is very familiar to me. But after I upped my Seroquel to 800mg I don't get this nearly as much or as bad as I used to. I don't think that was their intention when they upped my dose though.

Yes definitely! - it's such a horrible feeling. I'm bipolar I so I'm never sure if it's irritable dep or hypomania. Anyway, I can't stand people and everything makes mr angry.

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I don't have bipolar but does anyone get relief from agitation, hyperactivity, irritability, etc from benzos? I don't. .5mg.. 6mg.. 10mg.. Clonazepam/Xanax.. Nope..

Benzos at dosages that can help do drug me up too much. I have damaged my car because of this. And it does nothing for me except for my anxiety.

Bob Graham

Mixed states are notoriously horrible. Hang in there with the Lamictal...it will probably be helpful when you reach a therapeutic dose.

I find that after taking benzos as prescribed after about one year my tolerance is too high for them to be effective.

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I went off of clonazapam without titration, after I have been on it for 10 years. Now THAT was a nightmare. I also am beginning to think there are more mild but still difficult versions of agitated depression. There was one week where it was very, very intense. This was such a terrible experience that I was thinking of checking myself into a hospital, for I was thinking I was going to have a nervous breakdown of sorts. I never want to go through that experience again!

tucson

I have been wondering what the difference is between agitated depression and dysphoric mania and the role of anxiety. Here is an interesting link:

What is the difference between bipolar anxiety & bipolar agitation? - Bipolar Disorder - Sharecare

It appears that the several day nightmare I had earlier was dysphoric mania. I did not feel grandious in an obvious way. But despite my life feeling as though it was falling apart, I felt I still had things under control and ready to take over my meds (which is ridiculous) and do whatever it took to extricate myself from this terrible situation. Then moments of panic would set in as I struggled to get this "monkey" off my back that has my tied my down against my will, where I see nothing but disaster coming my way, and that I needed to check myself in to the hospital before I lose it. But more recently I have been irritable and agitated, and at other times, sad, fatigued, and out of energy. This seems more like agitated depression. There seems to be rapid cycling somehow involved. Still, I guess all that matters is that it hurts, with some episodes allot worse than others.

tucson

I'm very agitated and in a depressive episode now. But it is not a mixed state or "agitated depression" as a diagnosis. It is just how I am feeling. Sometimes it is just how we feel and not a diagnosis.

I feel like the energy inside me is angry, but not red hot angry like a mixed state. I am lethargic but cant sit still, my brain cant focus, I am trying very hard to calm myself and distract but the agitation is not leaving me. I feel a tightness in my chest and find it difficult to breath but its not anxiety. Its like my body is so agitated it is constricted. I have not felt like this before so Im blaming bad med withdrawls. Not everything we feel has to be named and diagnosed.

You are right, not everything is a diagnosable condition. Sometimes it's just feelings. Whatever is happening, i hope you feel better soon.

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I too hate mixed episodes. They're worse to me than the depression or anxiety because I hurt the people I love. I hope it gets better for you. Luckily mine only last a few days.

I hate the agitation! I'm very aware of when I enter that state, but I can't make it go away.