I Have Major Depressive Disorder Forum & Chat Board | hi

 I also get a numb feeling, but I don't know if I would contribute that to the meds solely. For example, sometimes feelings just overwhelm a person to the point of zoning out. I do have major depressive disorder and am on Wellbutrin, but perhaps the numbness comes from my not letting people in to help me? If you don't let people and their emotions in, it is easier to stay numb for whatever reason. 

 

Hi Back,

The numb feeling could be just about anything i the process of depression. Could be getting used to meds, grief keeping you in one place and stopping you feeling. Just about anything really. There's a related ilness named depersonalisation which is pretty much just numb and depressed. There's actually a move called Numb about it with Matthew Perry in it. Semi comedy but it' about him dealing with that feeling, or trying to. Highly relevant and entertaining movie.

Someone asked how do you know if it's BP.

SImple really. With BP you will experience extreme highs as well as the extreme lows of deep depression. Two types. BP1 and 2 ( clever how they did that wasn't it?

To have a diagnosis of BP you MUST have experienced a period of mania(BP1) - extreme and with BO2 you experience hypomania. Not as severe s BP1.

You wlll know if you've experienced it. I'm BP2 but control it with meds. The first time I woke up one day and felt absolutely fantastic. Full of energy from being a sloth the nigtht  before, positive about everything, talked and thought a mile a minute. WOuld do anything for anybody, talk to anyone and just spit ideas out like a machine. All deep ionsights (at the time).

Hypomania is a very powerful feeling but mania is potentoaly permenent. You can fully belioeve something that has no validity. Extreme example "I am God", and you are. Hypomania for that first 6 weeks was the best I've felt in my entire life, now 62. And that beats and street drug I tried too. A natural high which has left me convinced mankind is capable of so much more than we accept mundanely as we do, ploding to and from work etc.

The fall back from those heights is devastating and I truly felt I was dying that first time. Despite the power and how good it was I do not want the drop again. I have also had a period of rapid cycling. Where mood flicks from high to low in short periods. Mine was every few minutes and I felt I was going mad so took some meds and went to bed. A mood stabiliser controls the hypo you see. Next morning I was fine, I was lucky.

Like I said, you'll know if you have it. Mood variations from very low to low during a day are defined as diurnal mood variation and simply means your mood gets better the longer you are wake. Or worse. It can work both ways for different people. Nothing to do with BP. Remember you must experience an extreme high to be BP. Not just slightly less miserable. OK

Any questions, just ask.