Posted by Phaedrus on October 23, 2005, at 0:00:44
So Hi everybody This is my first post so it may be longer. I have a history of mental illness lasting back to the beginning of college. I'm currently 24 and in medical school. I deal with cyclothymia. My cycles are varied in duration, and usually precipitated by social events, (mostly girl problems). Its a bit stressful dealing with this and the workload of medical school. The work isn't that bad, but both really suck. I'm blessed with the intelligence to study significantly less than my fellow students and consistently do better. I'm able to do enough in up periods that I can take the down days off. The intelligence as well as instability were passed on from my parents. They are both doctors. Moms a psychiatrist, a former alcoholic and also knows the joy of cyclothymia. I guess I'm posting this because it would be nice to have someone else to talk to besides her. She completely understands but I need a change. I have a therapist as well, a good one, but he can never really understand. I function well, assuming I exercise and work out. I do alot of weights and yoga, which gives me a sense of confidence and competence along with the endorphins. It really dampens the swings, but I literally have to work out every day for it to work, and it doesn't do everything it just lessens the depression for a bit. And that was a hell of a run-on sentence. I'm a little reluctant to share too much with my friends here at school. I've messed up friendships before by vomiting emotion on them when I'm down. I've read alot of the posts and I like this site, but I'd also like to find an in-person support group. Anyone know of a good resource to find such a group?
-Ben
poster:Phaedrus
thread:570745
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051017/msgs/570745.html