cycles.

[ezekialar]

So im not sure whats going on. i know im depressed for some reason and i am seeing a counselor. It started with sexual confusion, and i guess i still have that a lil bit. but it seems to go in cycles, like even throughout the course of a day my mood can change up to 8 times from good to bad. I just saw my counselor again on monday and everytime i go i bring stuff up that i hate talking about and i always end up in a bad/sad depressed mood after going. its been better the last few weeks but any little insecurity or thought that scares me can trigger it. im just scared because this is the worst its been since right before i started seeing my counselor which was about 2 months ago. im not going again for about two weeks. i feel nervous and shaky and a lil sick to my stomach. any possible ideas on how to make this better?

[Bobby]

We all have changes in mood, but from the way yours sounds it more drastic and much more frequent. Maybe get tested for bi-polar, and if you do happen to have it they will most likely put you on meds, which help.

[ezekialar]

We all have changes in mood, but from the way yours sounds it more drastic and much more frequent. Maybe get tested for bi-polar, and if you do happen to have it they will most likely put you on meds, which help.

yeah. it doesnt happen like that all the time though. it got more frequent as i was depressed for longer. it used to be week periods, then a few days, then a day, and then eventually during the course of a day. is that how Bi-polar disorder starts or is this just me worrying a lot?

[Bobby]

Hmmmm... it could be either one. The best thing you could do would be to get tested.

[ezekialar]

Hmmmm... it could be either one. The best thing you could do would be to get tested.

yeah. how do i do that? just talk to my counselor or what?

[Bobby]

I'm not 100% sure, but your conselor can probably refer you to somone. You'd probably get better contacts from your pediatrician though.

[thesphinx]

This is really good that you recognize what is triggering the mood swings though, do you think that it is just your thoughts that cause that? because if so you should try cognitive therapy, talk to your counselor about it.
If not you could be bipolar.

[byee]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......it's pretty impossible to diagnose online. As an FYI, my Dad the Shrink says that bi polar disorder in teens is often very different than what adults have. The 'mood swings' aren't the 'typical' cycle between happy nd sad, but rather between Ok and intense anger, agitation, and overreactivity. And, like the adult counterpart, not at all caused by any environmental event. So, there's an often 'irrational', or unreasonable quality to them, too. And BPD almost always runs in families, if no adult has a confirmed case, the chances of you are pretty low. If someone has (or had) it, tell your doctor, it's important for him to know.

In your case, it does sound as if the angst you feel is caused by some understood emotional stressors, there's stuff going on causing this. It's not 'biological' or genetic only. It's fantastic you're in therapy, that's the place where you'll sort this all out and ultimately feel better. Stay with it, even if it sucks like mad to be there feeling all this. It's not the therapy that hurts, it's the underlying stuff. As you get it out, it (and therapy) will feel much better.

Until your next appointment, you might try to focus on the positives in your life, maybe the stuff you're getting for Christmas and some of the (hopefully) fun stuff you'll be doing. Being away from therapy for awhile often brings its own stress, but all of this (including your problems) are now being addressed, and fixed, which is perhaps the best Christmas gift of all. Maybe remembering that very soon you'll feel better, having hope, is the best thing you can do in the mean time.