Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 13:56:30
In reply to Possible cyclothymia, posted by ernie296 on July 16, 2003, at 13:38:39
> I want to stick to something. I want to stop spending money I really shouldn't on things I really don't need. But is there a pill that is going to help with that? Does anybody have any experience with dealing with cyclothymia without meds? Does recognition of the problem help you to control it?
Hi! My Dx is "mood disorders, not otherwise specified" meaning that I, too, have ups and downs but don't fit the classic description of any of the mood disorders specifically.
I do think knowing that there is a problem can help, simply because being aware of your cycles can help you plan for how best to deal with them.
However, I do think meds are a good course of treatment, but don't know if I would have bothered with them had I not been suicidal (and if I didn't return to that state often enough to scare myself). I take a mood stabilizer (Lamictal) with other meds and it seems to be helpful, though it's far from perfect.
> BTW, this may be totally random, but I did seem to notice that when I was on the Atkins diet, my moods leveled off. Was that wishful thinking or possibly part of the cycling or is there any evidence that milder moodswings can be helped with dietary changes?
I would imagine, though I am not a doctor or nutritionist, that the crash and burn effect you get from eating high-carb foods could contribute to more extreme cycling, so that a low or no carbs diet might help prevent that. Any other thoughts?
Oh - have you thought about (or are you in) therapy? If impulse control is an issue, therapy might be able to help you deal with it without medication.
poster:Penny
thread:242543
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030711/msgs/242553.html