Posted by SLS on May 11, 2012, at 6:26:42
In reply to Re: Melancholic vs Atypical depression, posted by psychobot5000 on May 10, 2012, at 22:20:15
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/MorePresentingSx.htm"* - bipolar depressions can manifest the entire gamut of endogenous, nonendogenous and/or atypical depressive symptomatology, and they are always recurrent over time . Soft bipolar depressions usually show atypical depressive features."
I disagree with the supposition appearing later in the article that bipolar depression includes mood reactivity just because it is thought of as being "atypical". It may with some people, but obviously not for all. The point is, bipolar depression can look like a hybridization of melancholic and atypical depression; with symptoms being predominantly atypical.
Your describing yourself as having symptoms of both melancholic and atypical, plus having a family history of affective and schizoid disorders suggest a closer look at bipolar depression. Even though some people might define your presentation as "soft bipolar", there is nothing soft about it. A "hard" bipolar presentation of depression can be severe, and does not always include manic or hypomanic episodes. The term "Bipolar V" would describe this condition best, I think. Of course, treatment resistance to traditional antidepressants is a feature to be taken into consideration. They might not be sufficient to bring someone to remission.
What are some of the other features of your illness? Do you have comorbid GAD, ADHD, or OCD? Has it followed a recurrent pattern with periods of euthymia (normothymia)?
For me, Bipolar IV fits because I am chronically depressed with the exception of drug-induced mania.
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1017453
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120508/msgs/1017702.html