Posted by psychobot5000 on May 10, 2012, at 22:20:15
In reply to Re: Melancholic vs Atypical depression » psychobot5000, posted by SLS on May 10, 2012, at 20:16:50
> > > > In the original post, I specifically mentioned that (supposed) point. However, a detailed look at the symptomology of the two indicates that:
> > > >
> > > > 1) I have the salient features of both
> > > > 2) Said salient features are not mutually exclusive
> > >
> > >
> > > Is there any family history of affective or schizoid disorders?
> > >
> > >
> > > - Scott
> >
> > Wow. Yes, there is. In my parents' generation, there's one case of schizophrenia, and an occasional episode of unipolar mood troubles. Do those suggest something?
>
>
> It suggests to me that you might have a diathesis for bipolar disorder, even if mania has not occurred. If your physiology is more bipolar than it is unipolar, you might profit from taking drugs like Lamictal, Abilify, or lithium in combination with antidepressants. What you describe as depression does fit the bipolar type.
>
>
> - Scott
Hmm. Thank you, Scott. That's potentially tremendously useful. Looking at those...I'm guessing they're all recommended because they have mood-stabilizing properties. ...Abilify is probably one I might possibly give a fuller trial of, at some point...Do you mind if I ask what about my symptoms 'fits the bipolar type'? Are you speaking of the variability in mood reactivity, say, or something more else?
I also appreciated your other response, which laid out in a more restrained and erudite manner why the relationship between atypical and other forms of depression is not as simple as 'common sense' may seem to indicate, even aside from the conflation of (an)hedonic symptoms with mood. It's also good to know that mood reactivity is no longer considered a reliable indicator of the one type. I will pass on that tidbit to a friend who recently looked over the symptomology of atypical depression, was shocked by it, and is now going through the process of getting a possible diagnosis of same.
-P
poster:psychobot5000
thread:1017453
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120508/msgs/1017697.html