[Wanderlust90]

Hi I'm fairly new to PsychCentral. I'm interesting in hearing about other people experiences with agitated depression? & what medications have helped the most?

[*Laurie*]

Hi wanderlust90, I've experienced agitated depression for most of my life. Most p-docs have diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder 2 and call the agitated depression 'dysphoric mania'. SSRI's used to help a great deal, but in the past 3 years the full dose of an SSRI began to cause an awful, severe anxiety for me. So I now take only half a clinical dose of an SSRI (Lexapro).

Two meds have been most helpful for my agitated depression/dysphoric hypomania in the past few years. Those two are Inderal (a betablocker) and Geodon, at a low dose.

[francisR]

hi Wanderlust

Finding the medication that would help you most is really a matter of trial and error till the right one is identified. Personally medications did not do a great deal to help me. I do believe however that the main answer lies in therapy. CBT has been adapted for every condition. And that will give you really good skills to manage symptoms. Also. keeping your mind distracted by doing especially enjoyable things will take the focus away from feeling bad. I hope and pray you feel much better soon. Take care. God bless and best wishes from your friend Francis

[Fizzyo]

[passionfruit3]

What is agitated depression?

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[Wanderlust90]

I experience "agitated depression" as low mood & suicidal ideation with physical restlessness & racing thoughts. It comes with an all encompassing sense of unease & discontent that I can't really put my finger on. I usually don't sleep or eat well during this time. One psychiatrist has called it dysphoric hypomania & suggested its a bipolar thing. A kind of mixed state, lithium did help initially to reduce the agitated symptoms but did not help my depression.

CBT is something I'm looking into as the medications I've tried so far only seem to attenuate the symptoms to a degree & general talk therapy seems to get me no where.

[Fizzyo]

I experience the same, my psychiatrist and other workers tend to label it as anxiety and depression but often I know it's NOT anxiety I'm experiencing even though I may not know what is making me feel so beside myself and restless. I call it agitation too for want of a better word.

I used to have the type of mood that you're describing several years ago. I don't have it anymore (or at least if I do, it's for a short period of time.)

I take an SNRI antidepressant, Cymbalta/duloxetine. I also take clonazepam. Both these medications are difficult to withdraw from after you take them for a while.

I would urge you to be careful if you're not taking any medication for your moods. In my experience, depression with suicidal ideation in combination with agitation is potentially very dangerous.

The one time I've been admitted inpatient to a psych hospital was when a highly stressful event caused me to become very agitated and upset and I took a whole bottle of antidepressant medication.

I hope that you find a solution to help settle down your mood.

[BudFox]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust90

I experience "agitated depression" as low mood & suicidal ideation with physical restlessness & racing thoughts. It comes with an all encompassing sense of unease & discontent that I can't really put my finger on. I usually don't sleep or eat well during this time. One psychiatrist has called it dysphoric hypomania & suggested its a bipolar thing. A kind of mixed state, lithium did help initially to reduce the agitated symptoms but did not help my depression.

I have something along the lines of agitated depression, including most of the symptoms you describe above. I also have other mood problems, impaired cognition, GI problems, and more.

But I have a good idea why -- Lyme disease. This condition (and other physical diseases as well) can cause chronic inflammation of the brain (technical term encephalitis) and nervous system. Plus neurotoxins from the pathogens, heavy metals and other environmental toxins, thyroid problems, mineral/vitamin deficiencies and more can cause major problems in the brain and nervous system.

Have you considered approaching this as, at least in part, a systemic medical condition? For me there are also major social, emotional, trauma factors.

I had dysphoric mania, or a mixed state, not sure which but that was the hardest thing ever to get through. DBT stuff is good. Mindfulness, grounding techniques, self-soothing, distraction. All good stuff. Also for the agitation, irritation, racing thoughts, etc. - seroquel is a godsend.