Anxiety Disorders Support Group

I think I might have GAD. I am to start seeing a psychiatrist soon to get a diagnosis. I do however also I think there might be more to it than GAD for various reasons, but I'll have to wait and see what the doctor says.

Now my question is in regarding depression and GAD. I suffer for depression on and off and have done so for many years. My depressions seem to often come out of the blue, other times they come when my anxiety levels seem to be very high (even though there's no obvious reason for why I should be anxious).

I somehow always manage to get out of my depressions without any help and without changing anything in my life whatsoever. My depressions just disappear like a miracle - often from one day to the other. And afterwards I can suddenly feel very happy and good and positive about life, even though I one day ago wanted to kill myself because of the persisting and really awful depression. Then after a while I fall into another depression and then recover again...and it continues.

When you experience depression in relation to GAD and other anxiety disorders, does your depression disappear just like that too? And do they keep coming back as well?

And do you suddenly feel good again after having been very depressed for weeks/months or do you keep being low even after the depression has shifted/improved? How stable is your mood.

Thanks

I can't say 100% but maybe your serotonin levels rise and fall easily. That controls our depression. As for "out of the blue", I think sometimes we miss the cues that trigger our feeling, but our unconscious mind picks up on them. I would get depressed every Thanksgiving for years and then I would be okay in the first week of December. I finally put 2 and 2 together. My Dad started dying in November and that's when I finially admitted he was going...he died ion December 3rd. So part of us is more intune lol

But even though it was chronic there would be times where I would feel really good! My meds have done wonders for me though! I don't miss the days of never knowing how I'm going to feel day to day, not being able to make plans because I'd be too depressed to go through with anything.

I'm glad your going to a Dr. I just go to a GP but she's great and my moods are stable now. Just be totally honest with your Dr.

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. Lexapro works wonders for *me* for depression and GAD. Keeping a mood chart either online or in a notebook is excellent and helps a lot, even just to be cognate of your moods and more in tune with yourself.

Thanks for your replies. I have just started scoring my moods - during the day even. I've noticed my mood goes up and down a lot during the day and I get several anxiety attacks daily, sometimes it seems the smallest things can trigger them. Even picking up my phone. Even crazy worrying over silly things trigger the anxiety too I've now noticed.

I am having one of my depressions at the moment. Have had to stay home for a while and can't study. I still don't know what's triggered my depression now. And the depressions I get in the past (some of them I know why, but many of the I don't), but I'm trying to figure out why.

I also get this weird sort of manic feeling on top of it all sometimes daily. That feeling is definitely not anxiety.

I've been on mirtazapine for a year now. Started on 15 mg. It worked wonders for a while, but then completely stopped working. I then went up to 30mg. It again worked wonders - did not make me depression and anxiety free at all, but I was able to lead a somewhat normal life. It has again stopped working completely though. I've been to an emergency appointment with my GP today and was put on the highest dose, 45mg. I hope it will work for a bit as before as I am trying to do my master's degree, but am unable to study now at all.

I've been on SSRI's and SNRI's (don't remember which when) 3 times in the past, but they don't have any effect on me what so ever which is why I started mirtazapine which sadly only has temporary effect.

I know medication alone is not the answer - that I need therapy as well as a proper diagnosis. But I think it's strange medication doesn't work well on me. Do you have any experience with good medication for anxiety and depression?

Maybe if you have not seen a psychiatrist it might be worth a chance to ask if there is anyone in your area that you could be referred to

Along with the information you are charting and your history maybe they can help.

I hope so anyway.

I also was on mirtazapine and the same happen to me as well a 3stone weight gain in 3 months. Been off med now for of a month. Also been on all the ssri more than once which did not work either and its the main thing that if you suffer with bipolar all the anti depressant dont work or stop working after a while. Think they call it pooped out or something.

Hope this may help you.

XxxxX

That definitely sounds like what I experience Jods. I've been looking at those disorders and yes it could very well be one of those I might have too.

My med regiment in the morning was 0.05mg Clonazepam (anti-anxiety) and 500mg Depakote (mood stabilizer). In the evening 100mg Trazodone (anti-depressant/sleep aid) and 500mg Depakote (mood stabilizer). That cocktail worked extremely well for me being so symptomatic and got me through a re-education period of 6 months so to re-enter the work force. Completed second from the top of my class, and I'm ADD since childhood.

In February ('12) was re-diagnosed as not bipolar, rather suffering from sever situational depression and anxiety. But non-the-less, I was extremely symptomatic and that cocktail did the trick. I may be bipolar or I may not be. Now we're just trying to work it out to determine the 'truth' of the matter. But the point is, symptoms often mirror one another and patients are often misdiagnosed in the process of trying to determine the real underlying issue and coming up with a final diagnosis. Your symptoms do resemble that of bipolar (type 2), depression coupled with hypo-mania, going through what is known as 'rapid cycling'.

When you do get that psychiatric appointment, be 100% honest and forthright with the pdoc. Otherwise you may only be treated for 'symptoms' in lieu of being treated for the 'cause' of those symptoms.

Best of luck! Keep us posted. (((big ol' country boy hugs of encouragement out to you))