Women, mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmas...help please???

I'm 34, and I've wrestled with depression and anxiety most of my life, including a nasty bout of postpartum depression following the birth of my firstborn.

It's a mix of things, but everything you've described is a valid symptom. For me, it's usually a swirl of thoughts so intense that I can't shut them off - illogical fears that pile up until I'm scared of my own shadow. I've been suicidal. I've thought that I might hurt someone. The kind of emotion you're talking about takes on a life of its own, and ruins yours.

When I was in my twenties, I took medication - and I'm grateful for every little pill that got me out of bed and kept me moving through my life.

As I passed 30, I realized that I'd outgrown the worst extremes, and learned coping techniques on my own that let me go drug-free. But I know people in their 50s who are still taking medication, and don't feel comfortable without it.

I've come to see depression and anxiety as not illnesses, but as parts of my temperament. And to see the gift in them - I'm creative, curious and inventive. It requires honesty. While I rarely disclose my history - there's no point, really - I don't dare lie to those close to me. It would be dangerous.

Get the help you need. Start with a call to your doctor, or if you're not comfortable, call your insurance company and see if they'll cover a visit to a therapist and refer you to one. And if that fails, try looking in the phone book for community mental health care with a sliding scale fee.

The phone call is the hardest part.

you know you might simply have a thyroid problem based on those symptoms. get that checked out immediately. it will cause anxiety, like something is stuck in your throat, sweaty palms, tiredness, hair loss, depressed feelings, hyperventilating, weight gain/loss, you name it..

for anything to be diagnosed, like a bi-polar disorder, you have to have very "highs" and very "lows" in mood swings every 4-6mos or so. I mean it's very specific. And I don't know, anyone here won't know either. So go checked out by a dr, and don't feel embarrassed about this. You go to an ob/gyn, right? and show a stranger everything. This is gonna be less embarrassing than that, I promise! I have a thyroid problem, you take a pill everyday, and it normalizes everything, a lot of women have it, and live happily ever after...

My moms side of the family has alot of bipolar its actually four of my aunts and my grandma and the doctors said i suffer from great depression, and high Anxiety but i do not have bipolar cuz i do not have thoughts about killing myself..

dekhain I m serious.

Or main apko keh rahi hun ke ap doctor ko dikha dain.

Ye confusion bhi apke problem hi ka ek part hai.Please aap zarur zarur dr ko dikhaen.

I m prayin for u and hope for all the best.

Yes I have depression and anxiety which I take medication for.... basically when I get really anxious I get a lump in my throat that makes it hard to swallow, my heart beats fast, I shiver like mad all over, and I call a lot of hotlines to talk to people. I also just talk a lot and make a fool out of myself to distract myself from my anxiety. My heart goes up into the 130's and feels like it's beating out of my chest.

When I get depressed I don't like to eat or shower and just like laying still a lot. It's hard to live with. I also get very cold and just don't care what happens to my heath. I also feel tired all the time but can't sleep.

My feelings when I'm anxious vs depressed are basically polar oppisites.

I get it all the time. I have problems standing up for myself, social anxiety, social phobia, I should be tested for bi-polar because I know that's something that I probably have too but I don't have insurance at the moment so it's gonna have to wait. I notice my moods change really fast...like i'll go from extremely happy to being in tears within minutes usually over something small. It's really hard for me to take any criticism at all from other people because I internalize everything. I also have depression issues. Stuff that normal people don't get nervous about I will. It definitely sucks. It's hard for me to go to work everyday because I'm always anxious about somebody yelling at me or messing up...within the 2 hours leading up to when I have to go to work at night I usually will have thrown up at least once and sat on the toilet for a good while cuz for some reason the nervousness makes me feel like i have to have a bm and it literally makes me feel sick. So yeah. I know what you're talking about. Along with shaking when I'm nervous.

Well I am not a doctor but it just sounds like you panic... I know someone in my neighborhood who is bi-polar and she does things like tries to kill herself and takes sleeping pills so her crying baby doesnt wake her up and it reall affects her child. What you are describing sounds like panic attacks. NEVER be embarrased to ask questions, ESPECIALLY if you have children. The way you feel greatly impacts your children and you need to see a doctor if it is something you are not able to control. Going on medicine for anxiety or panic attacks is not a bad thing. No one is made perfect and sometimes we need help. I take prozak so I don't go crazy on my kids... if I don't have it I turn into a raging lunatic... with it I am very happy and it makes life easier on my family.

Yeah everyday, I feel weird of depress. Right now I'm in my teen years so this is common to girls :)

i have massive anxiety attacks. the first time it happened i thought i was dying. they are horrible. my doc put me on adavan. it helps. he made me prioritize my activities so i wouldnt keep acting like super woman. just try to get rid of some stress and when it first starts try to relax and get your mind off of it.

I don't feel like that, but I know another great parenting community you can ask - http://www.babyhold.com/option,com_fireboard/Itemi...