8 Comments on “How to stop ongoing bipolar dysthymia/mild depression?”

1. gardensallday
   

   I’m not doing NEARLY as well as you, but here are a few ideas -

   A lot of times the meds don’t work right when you have PMS, or if you are older, getting on towards menopause, there are problems. I keep track when I will have PMS because I know I will be in total relapse at that time. I avoid putting things on my calendar then (which I can do to some extent, because I am on disability for bipolar).

   I use a light box, one that’s REALLY bright. My doc says for many bipolar people, they get more depressed in the fall/winter. It’s best to use it about 1/2 hour in the morning, first thing when you get up. You can get the Sunray, I used that in a mental hospital, and it was very good. Don’t get the dinky little lights, they aren’t bright enough.

   I wrote up a list of happy things to read when I’m down, stuff like a basket of fluffy kittens, the sound of popcorn popping, the scent of jergen’s lotion, the feel of snowflakes melting on my face, or the first snowfall on pine trees, that kind of thing. My list is 4 pages long. It helps quite a bit. I also hug my cats and tell my hubby I am needy. I ask for sex when I’m low, even when I don’t feel like having it at all, because it actually helps a LOT.

   I found that ativan and other benzos, and especially ambien, made me have a LOT of trouble controlling my behavior, and made me very angry all the time, way beyond irritability. So you may want to see if you can get by without those pills. After a couple weeks, they don’t work anyway, due to dependence. Research that, if you don’t believe me. The reason you get insomnia when you quit them is due to drug withdrawal.

   A good websight is bipolarworld.net, and click on ask the doctor. That Dr. Phelp’s guy specializes in bipolar and recently wrote a book on Bipolar II, which is his main interest in bipolar, actually. So you will want to read all his stuff. He really emphasizes regular exercise as a mood stabilizer.

   Oh, and I’m going to add, when I get busy and don’t eat, and my blood sugar gets a little low (I’m dragging a bit), often my mood dives and won’t come back up until the next day. so I try to eat regularly and get whole grains. I still screw up, but not very often.

   I hope one of these ideas was helpful to you. Check out Dr. Phelp’s, he links all his stuff to journal articles so you can read the original research.

2. WilsonJunkie
   

   Well i think this may sound obvious, but have you figured out why you’re depressed? Maybe it’s hereditary or an event? I believe you have to isolate the problem and talk to a friend whom you can trust. Because with a therapist, you might not be willing to share as much or have a personal bond with.

   Hope this helps.

3. Tayebird
   

   I am sorry that you are going through this. How long have you been on these drugs? The problem with many drugs is that it causes a type of dependency on them as well as your body can build up a kind of immunity to its effects.
   I am not big on drugs and so I offer a natural remedy to you. Mangosteen juice. I have done lots of research on it and have found it to be absolutely awesome. It contains a powerful phyto-nutrient called a Xanthone. From the links below you will see lots of research on these Xanthones and the effect it has on many illnesses, especially depression.

   Hope you find what you are looking for…

4. Charles B
   

   I have/had dysthymia – I was on Wellbutrin, Seroquel and Zoloft – I’ve gotten over quite a bit of it by talking out what the root cause was with a therapist – then with the people who helped originate part of the problems.

   I couldn’t say that this is THE answer – b/c there are many factors for me and I’m sure there are for you. But for me – I am now med free and mostly stable…

   Good luck!

5. jannsody
   

   I wanted to commend you on taking your medication as I have clinical depression and ocd (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and notice a significant difference in my symptoms since I take it on a regular basis. There may be another mood stabilizer for you to try such as depakote. I take seroquel at nite to help me to sleep (prozac during day but I see that that can bring on a manic state which antidepressants are unfortunately known to do). I’m surprised that you take seroquel plus sleeping pills. I would think that the seroquel would be enough as it is thought to work on the dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain (also thought to be related to ocd sufferers).

   Have you been to a more intensive therapy program such as a partial care/partial hospitalization program for those with mental health problems? You may respond better while being in the company of others who understand the struggles that you deal with. Those types of programs are typically run during the day and consist of group therapy, educational groups and coping and stress management skills. You would most likely, however, need to take a (medical) leave of absence from your job. Though if it can help you to become more functional and less depressed than now, it may be well worth it. Hoping that you get some relief soon.

6. words_that_live_on
   

   You need to be on a high dose of life. Don’t let this chemistry last too long. You can stop making depression chemicals yourself. Just eliminate old bad beliefs. Be true to life and disappointments will disappear. You will manage just fine after the cold turkey period. You have learned so much by now anyway.

7. Kathryn R
   

   I hate to break your bubble but dysthymia isn’t a mild form of depression it’s a chronic depression it’s some thing that I’ve been dealing with since I was nine and I’m 52, there have been times when the depression has gone into remission and I was able to go off the medicine for years and there have been times when it’s been truly bad and I’ve had to have been hospitalized for it. It’s like any other chronic illness a lot of how it affects you is based on how you handle it and which medicines work best for you and what for you will set off a depressive episode. I think of it like having some thing like Lupus some times you don’t’ know that you have it because everything is great and than some things happens and you have a flair, You sort of learn to go with the ebbs and flows And if you don’t believe me about the dysthymia ask you psychiatrist to let you see the DSM IV and look it up.

8. Marguerite
   

   You are on a very good medication regimen.

   If there is nothing disruptive going on in your life to cause this unease, then actively changing your thought processes will be most helpful in ridding this dysthymia.

   When a sad or negative thought enters your mind, immediately replace it with a positive one. This takes time and practice, but the benefits are worth it.

   In addition, and perhaps most important, finding a passion is a mood booster. It can be a passion for a person, your work, interest, hobby, or a spiritual passion. It can be all or one. This is an answer to a low-grade depression.