[LittleMissSunshine]

So I just started Divalproex. my doc told me it's a bit of a mood stabilizer and that it's drowsy so it will help me sleep.
I have been sooo blah lately and not sleeping well and when i upped my anti-depressants (effexor) i wasn't seeing much improvement.
so i started this.

well it's not really helping me sleep all that much, which i what i really want. a normal sleep cycle. but mostly i feel baffled. mood stabilizer. my ups have barely been up. it's not like i'm feeling the sense of immortality or that i'm being rash or carefree and just uber pumped on life. my ups are that i feel normal. so why the mood stabilizer? i'm worried that it'll stabilize me at blah.

also, i was reading into mania and bi-polar and all that (my aunt has been treated for bi-polar) to learn more about it. and then i came across this

"Manic patients’ minds are working so fast that they come up with rhymes or sing-song phrases, burst out in song or start dancing spontaneously. "

ooookay. so i do that, when i am feeling like my normal self. i'm a musical theater kid. so am i to think that i'm not like that normally but rather that what i used to think of as my personality is actually a manic cycle??? how do u tell the difference??

i feel like my quest for sleep is going off track. i don't want to get swallowed in a sea of medication and wrong diagnosis just to help me sleep. i'm so confused. what do i do???

Did your doctor say he was giving you a mood stabilizer because he thinks you have bipolar disorder? Or are you making that assumption based on the fact that it is a mood stabilizer so that must be what he is thinking? I'm not sure which from the information you gave.

Some mood stabilizers do a good job of controlling depression so some doctors try them as an adjunct to antidepressant therapy. It doesn't necessarily mean you have bipolar disorder.

[phoenix47baby]

I agree with farmergirl. The mood stabilizer can help the Effexor work more efficiently. Your doc may not be thinking that you are bipolar, just in a depressed cycle and need some extra assistance. Hang in there.

[LittleMissSunshine]

no he didn't say that's what he was thinking. so i'm just getting ahead of myself then? i've just been so anxious due to my lack of sleep and want of sleep. and at this pointi'm impatient cuz it's been soooo long!

[Pomegranate]

If you are feeling over medicated you should say so. Likewise if you are not getting enough sleep you should say so. And keep repeating and asking questions of your pdoc until you are on medication that makes you feel okay and helps you get enough sleep.

If you are bipolar and in a manic state, that will most certainly affect your sleep cycle and keep you awake - until you crash into exhaustion and depression. If you have been manic without realizing it, going into "normal" can seem blah and even depressing. It's hard to sort it all out until you really start paying attention to yourself and your moods. Journaling or even just writing a few words on a calendar every day about how you are feeling and how much sleep you had might be helpful.

Originally Posted by LittleMissSunshine

no he didn't say that's what he was thinking. so i'm just getting ahead of myself then? i've just been so anxious due to my lack of sleep and want of sleep. and at this pointi'm impatient cuz it's been soooo long!

It does seem like you are getting ahead of yourself. I would call him back and let him know you still aren't sleeping though. Lack of sleep isn't good for anyone.

[LittleMissSunshine]

sleep is sorta better. i hate taking something to help me sleep though. my mood has slightly increased. and i have been keeping a daily journal where i log my sleep(what and how much i took for it, how many hours i got) my mood and what i'm eating(my diet has been horrible due to the lack of sleep. i'm barely eating and not making good choices)