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Mood swings/depression
For the last two months I've been going through some depression, though it's not always a constant thing. That is, I guess it's always there, but I can only feel it for a few days at a time before it fades. I go about 3 days where I feel fine, but then I drift into 3 days where I feel horrible. I know the roots of it are in self-loathing brought on by relationship problems, drug abuse/dependence, etc.
I can feel it coming and I can feel it leaving. I just started therapy, so I don't necessarily need advice on what to do -- I'm just interested in knowing if anyone else has gone through the same thing, and whether medication was necessary.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
First, I disagree with the other answer. Please continue therapy. It is one aspect of treatment for mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder.
Other than that, the other answer did have some good points. I agree that you need to see a psychiatrist to get an accurate diagnosis and find a medication that can help. Mood disorders are very successfully treated with a combination of medication, therapy, and taking measures to improve general health (diet, exercise, etc.). It takes all of those to really treat it.
On the days when you feel fine, is it just a "normal", level feeling or do you have symptoms of mania (grandiose feelings - as the other person mentioned, a feeling like you can do anything, taking risky behavior, not sleeping, extreme energy, feeling sped up, et.) or hypomania (some of the same symptoms as mania but less intense, irritability, sudden creativity and intense focus, rhyming/alliterating a lot)? If so, you may be bipolar. You say you feel it coming and leaving, so it seems there is a definite difference in the moods which makes me think you might be bipolar. There are two main types of bipolar disorder. Type I has mania and type II has hypomania and a lot more depression.
I have bipolar II disorder and it has taken a lot of time to get my medication right for me, but it was worth it. I am also benefiting from a group therapy setting with others dealing with bipolar and/or depression.
Mood disorders are an imbalance in the brain. Yes, medication is important. Yes, therapy is important. Yes, there are a lot of people out there going through the same thing right now. Get to a psychiatrist now, before it gets out of hand. You are on the right path to getting it under control.
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I will be blunt based on experience. Get rid of the therapist. They aren't doctors nor trained to deal with any aspect of depression and often get people in trouble.
Some are good, but if you have depression you need to be talking to a psychiatrist--a specialist and not anyone who isn't. A psychiatrist will assess your illness, figure out how to treat it and if necessary put you on medication.
Now here's the major area of concern. You mentioned that the depression comes and goes and majority of the time you feel content, then you get a period of depression for a few days, and then back to content. It's a cycle and it could mean you have a mood disorder here and not depression as this is a signature sign for that.
You need to keep a watch out for how often it changes first of all, whether you have racing thoughts, insomnia, and anything grandiose in your thinking as that's signs for bipolar.
I would definitely see a psychiatrist and have them diagnose what is wrong as a therapist cannot do that and help you in the manner you need.
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