Am i suffering from depression or bipolar?

[moodygal]

I have been having mood swing for months, feelign stress, paranoid,unhappy... on and on. I have insomia almost every night that i need to take some drowsy medication to sleep.

below are some of the sign i have.

I am really sad most of the time.

I don't enjoy doing the things I've always enjoyed doing.

I don't sleep well at night and am very restless.

I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.

I have little to no sexual energy.

I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.

I am mad at everybody and everything.

I feel upset and fearful, but can't figure out why.

I don't feel like talking to people.

I feel like there isn't much point to living, nothing good is going to happen to me.

I think about death a lot. I even think about how I might kill myself.

Edited October 6, 2008 by moodygal

[gordian knot]

Welcome, moodygal.

I wish we were meeting you under better circumstances, but this is pretty much the norm around here--people usually post for the first time when they really need help. I'm glad you posted and have given us a chance to give you some support.

I'm not a therapist or a doctor, but it seems pretty clear to me that you are suffering some sort of depression right now. I didn't notice anything in your list of symptoms that sounded like Bipolar Disorder (I or II), but only a qualified mental health professional could tell you for sure.

It sounds like a meeting with a psychiatrist might be an ideal next step for you, since this could address all of your concerns: your feelings of profound sadness, suicidal thoughts, mood swings, and paranoia. Additionally, since he or she is a medical doctor, a psychiatrist should be able to offer insight about any potential physical or chemical origins for your symptoms.

Even if seeing a psychiatrist does not seem to be the right route for you, I would encourage you to speak with someone who has some mental health training (a psychologist, counselor, minister, or even your family doctor or gynecologist) about your current feelings. The fact that you have posted here shows that there is still a part of you that wants to get help, to feel better, and not to just give up.

Can you share more about your journey with us?

Best,

Sean

[moodygal]

Thanks for replying to me.

I'm abit loss at how to go abt describing my feeling/thoughts. Not really sure how i shld start with.........so sorry. My mind is :confused:

I wanted to share but is just really some indescrible feeling that have caused my mood swing. Im so sick of this mood swing thing.