Upgraded diagnosis to AD

After a long session with my pdoc earlier this month she changed my diagnosis to atypical depression. Originally I was diagnosed with Dysthymia but she now knows I have a more severe case of depression which keeps coming back by getting triggered, usually by situations involving other people. I also sleep way too much and feel tired most of the time, crave caffeine and harder stimulants, and have no interest in just about anything. I also go to bed every night hoping I will die in my sleep and never wake up. I don't mean to be melodramatic here, I'm just pointing out my depressed moods are severe, even now that I'm no longer using alcohol. I always knew my depression was a severe case, and she specified my major depression as having atypical features.

Is treatment for major depression any different than it is for less severe disorders like dysthymia? Either way my disorder is fairly chronic. Does anyone else have the atypical subtype and if you do what are your symptoms like? I did extended evaluations and some testing this month and it came up with my new diagnoses, but my alcoholism is now gone being that I don't drink ever anymore, but I'm probably still at risk for relapsing.

Hey,

One thing that I will not recommend is that you get caught up trying to figure out what your diagnosis of depression specifically is. Let's just say, instead, that you are depressed and that there are [probably] logical reasons why...

In my view, we become depressed when we are living a life that we really don't want to live. This suggests, however, that we could not be depressed if we were living another life... right?

Can I suggest one thing? - try getting off caffeine... it does absolutely nothing good for your mood. Withdrawal from long-term caffeine use can take just 2 days and you have to stick with it. You'll probbaly slep 12 hours each night until your body 'reconfigures' itself. Try this and then see what the next step is... Set mini challenges like this...

Kevin

I notice you've mentioned nothing about what medication you might be on to treat the depression? Are you on an antidepressant?

You say you crave caffine and harder stimulants. Do keep in mind that the flip side of stimulants is depression as you come down. If you are regularly taking stimulants, you are not helping yourself a bit.

Good luck. I hope you can get a handle on this and find some relief.

I'm no longer on drugs hoping it will help to decrease my depression, but I still use caffeine daily, but I'm cutting down on my usage. I agree it lowers my mood by making me fatigued all the time ironically.

I do take medication, I take Remeron now but it seems to make me sleep too much. I'd be interested in switching to something that doesn't prolong my sleep.

HopeU wrote:I'm no longer on drugs hoping it will help to decrease my depression, but I still use caffeine daily, but I'm cutting down on my usage. I agree it lowers my mood by making me fatigued all the time ironically.

I do take medication, I take Remeron now but it seems to make me sleep too much. I'd be interested in switching to something that doesn't prolong my sleep.

Remeron is an old anti-depressant, but it's usually only used as a sleeping medication now. So, it's no wonder you feel sleepy from it. What about an SSRI like prozac or lexapro? Is there some reason you don't take them?

Hi there

I was diagnosed at age 15 with dysthymia and social anxiety. I was on Prozac for the last 15 years. And ativan or klonopin as needed.

I am now 30, and after handling a breakup extremely bad, I went in for a new evaluation at the best place in the area. They told me "major depressive, recurring." and also said the type of depression I have is atypical and I have a panic disorder. Maybe I had that all along, or it just evolved.

They quickly decided to ween me off my 80mg of prozac, and onto Wellbutrin. The main goal was to possibly put me on a MAOI. You need to have SSRI out of your system before going on MAOI.

Anyway, before this breakup- my symptoms I guess were pretty much under control and I was happily single for the last few years, living a "normal" life. After my breakup, I went off the handle so to speak. I made a fool out of myself publicly trying to win him back. I tried to take a bunch of pills and woke up 20 hours later. I went through an alcoholic phase. After a night out, I stumbled home and I couldn't remember the security code to my house and the police came and I was blacked out. It was an embarrassing time. All because of my romantic loss/rejection. Since then I've had a general disinterest in life. I'm always in bed if I don't need to be at work. Sometimes at work I will just cry out of nowhere. Sometimes I eat. Definite loss of apetite and losing interest in seeing friends or going out. I just sit in bed and cry.

They say I'm atypical because of the hypersomnia and I do have the ability to temporarily have things make me happy. The main thing though is the rejection sensitivity. And the panic attacks.

I'm still on the mend and hoping to get on a MAOI in a few weeks.

Good luck to you