Moody

Are there any ways of controlling your mood and pesky instinctive bad habits outside of meds? I already take lamictal 200 mg a day so I'm not sure there is anything else I can take medicine wise.

[Jaquta]

Psychotherapy would be helpful.

[mammo]

Therapy is very helpful.  I once read abook avery long time ago called "Your Eroneous Zone" by Dwayne Dyer (Sp).  It was all about how we are the only one in control of how we  to feel. For example, so and so didn't put you in a bad mood, YOU chose to be in a  bad mood. This book helped me immensely!.  We choose how we will feel and whether or not we allow others or outside things decide how we will feel. This is giving away your power. If you are still having mood swings discuss this with your doctor since you are on medication.  Take care.

[x89rt]

i already go to a psychologist. i have told him about this but we've come to a conclusion that medicinewise i am fine. also, that me being moody is partly genetic. he has given me advise on how to deal with depressing moments and i agree with his advise. but one of the things that is ironic is that i am a logical person and can plan things out, but when i am in the now trying to carry plans out my
emotions take over which ruins things. as for the
part about me being in control of how i feel, i dont have much confidence in myself and im very codependent so to me that is nearly impossible.

[mammo]

How long have you been on the medication?  After awhile, and it varies from person to person, we build up a tolerance to these mediactions and need to be switched to a new one.  I disagree that you are okay medication wise, or you would be feeling much better.  Do you feel you have made any progress with your psychologist?

[x89rt]

you know, the tolerance thing crossed my mind but since neither of my doctors have said anything i kinda shrugged it off. by two doctors i mean my psychologist who i see regularly and a psychiatris for meds that isnt really that often. the thing is, both doctors say that lamictal (the "mood stabilizer") as the best one for that, and im at my therapeutic dosage. im not sure about the antidepressants but im pretty sure that their jobs dont have anything to do with mood control. what do you guys make of it?

[mammo]

Antidepressants have everything to do with stabilizing our moods.  Lamictal is used for people who are bipolar, have you been diagnosed with this?  Depression alone can cause mood swings.  Check out the link below to see there are other options and this needs to be discussed with your psychiatrist.  Hope this helps, I know it can all be very over-whelming.


http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/medications-bipolar-disorder

[x89rt]

No, I do know that antidepressants improve your mood but it doesn't really stabilize it. Btw, I take two different antidepressants.

Yea, I have Bipolar type 2.

... I'll have to ask my psychiatrist about Lithium but other than that, I don't know anything else that can help me medicine wise.

Just noticed. Is psychotherapy the same thing as therapy or... what is that?

[unluckycharms]

Yeah, psychotherapy is a form of therapy.  

On a different note,  I found it to be inappropriate to suggest to a clinically depressed and/ or bipolar individual that we can control or choose how we feel.  How many of you out there would say that you choose to be depressed?  To suggest that we can choose how we feel would be the same as invalidating clinical depression as a medical diagnosis.  I do not believe that people can change how they feel; however, I do believe that people have a choice in how to cope and work through their negative feelings.

I would suggest that the next time you feel emotionally overwhelmed, you should sit down and write out your feelings.  This may help you in shifting from emotional thinking to logical thinking.

[x89rt]

Its kind of hard doing that cause my mood changes very often. By very often I mean like it changes two or three times in a day.