[clinpsycstudent]

Hi all,

It has been a long time since I have logged on here - and thank you again for all that have followed my situation, and have given me some great advice.

I have been seeing a new therapist less frequently - and we have worked well together, which has been lovely.
However, it is difficult as I feel that I am the most resilient person to treat, and I still fluctuate with feeling very good, and then severely depressed. I really am strugging with the notion that this is GAD - however, though Dr's have said they are wary of hypomania behaviour when I am feeling very well (also including my therapy boundary issues in the past) my therapist does not think bipolar. I am strugging to put myself in a position to accept that it is only GAD and depression - and I am not sure how to pinpoint my mental health anymore. Though I have been two years in therapy, I still can't seem to control my moods or regulate them - depsite trying medications, etc.

I think I got worried because it will be simple things that my mind just gets overwhemed with - for example, just a few days ago I was so irritable that someone was showing me how to prepare a type of food - and though she just showed me, I had already forgotten - this sort of thing happens a lot and it FREAKS me out I usually feel a miz of both happy and depressed - but it only takes one event to happen that will tip me to either one or the other...

Does this sound like I need another assessment?

(And HAPPY NEW YEARS to all!)

[sideblinded]

(((clinpsycstudent)))

I think I understand what you are saying here. It is so difficult to pinpoint our Dx's but what I think is going on is that you have triggers possibly stemming from your childhood. I am no T but I have these triggers that can throw me into a depressed mood or a spell that I cannot explain. I come from an abusive background so I know that these triggers are true for me. I hope you talk to your T about this and I hope you find a resolution soon.

[clinpsycstudent]

Originally Posted by sideblinded

(((clinpsycstudent)))

I think I understand what you are saying here. It is so difficult to pinpoint our Dx's but what I think is going on is that you have triggers possibly stemming from your childhood. I am no T but I have these triggers that can throw me into a depressed mood or a spell that I cannot explain. I come from an abusive background so I know that these triggers are true for me. I hope you talk to your T about this and I hope you find a resolution soon.

Thank you so much for your reply! I think you are right - I always tend to panic and then worry that I am losing my memory, mind... etc... etc... (catastrophic thought - here here?).
It's funny - as I am a training therapist, but I always tend to find it difficult to recognize my own fears and worries!

I grew up in a very hypercriticial environment - hence to this day, I worry about "messing things up for everyone" - and I think as much as I think about this, the more hypersensitive I become of my surroundings.
It was always a bit of a worry with my moods - when I am a bit manic, this doesn't seem to occur. It only occurs in my depressed periods. However, my moods fluctuate more and more - and then I think that GAD still may not be the correct diagnosis for my presentation of symptoms...

[Teepee]

Hey,

If you think another assessment will benefit you then I think you should it will either come up the way you are thinking and give you a bit more direction, or, it will result in the same dx which you and your T can go over looking at the results and your feelings about them.

Goodluck

Originally Posted by clinpsycstudent

I think I got worried because it will be simple things that my mind just gets overwhemed with - for example, just a few days ago I was so irritable that someone was showing me how to prepare a type of food - and though she just showed me, I had already forgotten - this sort of thing happens a lot and it FREAKS me out I usually feel a miz of both happy and depressed - but it only takes one event to happen that will tip me to either one or the other...

Does this sound like I need another assessment?

It sounds like you could use some blood and hormone tests to rule out deficiencies. I had severe memory issues and found it was due to a B12 deficiency. I started getting weekly injections and voila...started to feel human again. Test also revealed other deficiencies, which I'm treating, and it's made a huge difference. I also take meds, but they are more likely to cause memory loss and fatigue, so the fact that I have improved memory and energy tells me it's the supplements that are making a difference on that front.

There are other conditions that also cause or contribute to mental health problems, such as hypothyroidism and anemia.

This is all to say that it may or may not be a mental health issue so much as a physical/medical one. If you haven't had a thorough exam and testing, I would definitely recommend it.

[AncientMelody]

I agree with licketysplit that a thorough medical eval is important. I will add if these are ruled out, I would talk to your therapist about a dialectic behavioral therapy group. DBT can help with states of emotional dysregulation