If you only swing into sad mood, is it still BP?

Hey everyone

My question might be weird to some, well I noticed (in my case) I only swing "down side", in sad mood, not quite depression, just being in melancholic state. I hardly ever swing into hypomania (maybe for 5 minutes or so) but even that happend about 3 weeks ago.

What's happening?

take care all

If you have ever had a hypomanic or manic episode it is bipolar - even if it only happens once and the rest of the time you just get depressed. It's just a label, and the only reason it really matters is for med selection, because if you are prone to hypomania/mania antidepressants on their own are usually not given, and a mood stabilizer or AP may be used instead.

My pdoc personally wouldn't consider 5 minutes of hypomania to be a hypomanic episode.

But what if in those 5 minutes of hypomania you did something that really affected your life? Could it be considered hypomania, or would it be considered something else? Couldn't it technically be considered ultra rapid cycling?

I really don't know, that's not rhetorical or anything.

I'd consider a 5 minute mood swing to possibly be indicative of a different problem. Especially if it happens rarely and with only "melancholy" and not major depression.

Maybe it's Dysthymia.

I wouldn't consider a "5 minute mood swing" to be a problem at all - just life. Unless you cycle every 5 minutes and then it would be problematic

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That is not bp imo. But I'm not a pdoc. Jmho. Good luck.

Sometimes people with unipolar depression will have short duration happiness due to stimuli in their surroundings during a depressive episode. This is considered atypical depression. If it’s short like you are describing, it is most likely that. It isn’t hypomania.

Actually, to further this, depressed people will often have a short duration up right after a depressive episode. However, this isn’t hypomania either. This is just the result of a psychological leaden brick being taken off your chest.

Even people without a mental illness will have short duration mood fluctuations. It isn’t at all pathological.

Personally, while I’m not a doctor, I would not worry about this because it’s not long enough to have a negative impact on your life whatsoever. If your depression treatments are working, then you’re probably in good shape with your current care. Breathe a sigh of relief!

Cocinella, hope you're feeling better. I want to make sure we are understanding you correctly. You have had these short periods of hypomania more than once, right? But the last one was 3 weeks ago? Or was that the only one?

My dx is cyclothymia, too.

It just occurred to me, do the doctors in your country use the same diagnoses? Please forgive me if this is a silly question. I'm just trying to make sure we are all understanding you and talking about the same thing.

My dear friends I thank you a lot for your replies hugs** to you all there.

Well my story (in short way). I had panic attacks and took AD (Paroxat) and felt super super goor, TOO good and manic yes. I felt I have the world under my feet (I hope I expressed myself correctly, since my english isn't so good). Then I stopped taking Ad for my panic attack and felt worse, started to swing from sadness to being happy, but mostly i was sad sad sad and felt anxiety. I cried a lot.

Then my pdoc said you have cyclothimia. And gave me Lamictal. I felt better but flat and still swinging. Then she gave me Abilify to boost my Lamictal dose (100 mg Lamictal and 5mg of Abilify).

I am on that meds for 3 motnhs now. My substitute pdoc said that at this stage of treatment WE WAIT and see how this meds work. It's not good to change or upper or lower our meds right away.

But I am noticing lack of interest in things, I am not depressed like, but like BLAH I DON'T GIVE A DAMN like (if you know what I mean). I'm not interested in travelling yet I'm unhappy and insecure about my life.

For sure I have cyclothimia my friends, cus I had the swings before. Now the swings from depression to hypomania are gone, but I SWING just in a bad mood, accompanied with anxiety and A HUGE LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE.

I hope you understand my case now. I thank you once again you're the best

Oh and forgive me first silly question when i opened this topic, i read it once again and no wonder that some of you didnt undestand my question.

to keep it simple, are the meds to stabilize my mood working, or do i need a biger dose, since i still swing DOWN SIDE?

I'm not sure if there are meds that can help a lack of self confidence. Are you addressing this through therapy as well? I used to have a huge lack of self confidence, and I found through therapy, mostly CBT, I was able to overcome these thoughts and I am quite a confident person today.

As for your last question, it depends on how often and how severe the downs are. Even normal people have periods where they feel down. Eliminating them completely is unrealistic. But if they are damaging your ability to function or are causing significant distress they need further treatment. You should talk to your doctor about this, we don't know and are not qualified to advise you on med changes.

Kid I thank you for your reply

I never was a too unselfassured person. I mean I never was OVER self confident, but I always knew what I want and was able to reach my goals.

Now it's like...I'm blank. I have no goals, desire, I also opened a new thread...I feel melancholic. And I am not like that at all. So yea it bothers me a lot.

Even my mom (and she really sees everything correctly when it comes to my state of mind and appearance) says that she misses my energetic personality. Not mania like of course. But I was always a little ray of sunshine, happy with everything and confident in what I want.

SO this just doesn't make any sense to me.

but you are right. a pill can't make you confident...but it can take melancholie away....cus this is just not who i am

Thanks for the additional information. I hope we can help you better now.

To me, what you describe above sounds like your depression isn't quite under control. I agree that therapy would help, but I think the lack of confidence could be somewhat caused by depression, too. Definitely tell your pdoc what you told us.

I don't have experience with the meds you're on, but I'm sure someone who does will respond.

Hang in there! Cyclothymia is so weird. I felt better for a long time, so it is possible.

StayingAlive thank you so much for your kind words

Yeah tell me about it, cyclothimia is weird and really rare (or so they say). Well I always was more on the "sad side" with hardly any hypomanic moments. So I presume that's the reason I got Lamictal cus it's working like an AD.

But like I said to boost my Lamictal they added Abilify, but only 5mg so I don't really know what else would be an option now.

Cus I tried 125mg Lamictal before adding Abilify and I felt FLAT FLAT FLAT so I presume that IF chaning med's....I'll probably go on 10 mg Abilify. But it's just a guess.

Yes I agree that my sad mood isn't under control yet. It's not like it was before when I didn't eat, I cied a lot etc.. Now it's just like BLAH feeling....and yeah my sleeping is kinnda weird, I'm waking up a lot, also no desire towards my BF, no feelings towards him. YOu might say I am flat, but not super flat

I know my words sound weird but I'm glad I finnaly found someone with cyclothimia as well hugs** to you stayinAlive

Great answer, thanks for taking the time to write that out.

sunshine yes, a very good asnwer indeed. today i went out for a walk on the sunshine and i listened to some music and felt that hypomanic kinnda state for about 30 minutes....than when i stopped listetning to music it passed. it might just be a duration during my melancholic state.

the thing my major diagnosis is cyclothimia, not depression and it's weird where this is going now. since AD dont work for me i am hoping for some good answers from my pdoc on tuesday.

hugs to you all***