On and off depression

@sincereOcean5846

Heyyya! It's nice to meet ya ;") Firstly, I just want to say that it must've been a scary process and I can't imagine how much it has affected you in your daily tasks.

I think it's best if you consult a professional as they can provide you for an explanation on why you feel so (even if it does end up being nothing, it will help you sort of understand or get a clear picture on what's going on)

I'm really glad that you decided on speaking up about it and getting suggestions, it shows that you sincerely wish to feel yourself and get better :)

We have wonderful listeners here on 7cups to hear you out incase you're going through a hard time <3

I hope it gets sorted and you feel more relaxed and hopeful.

@sincereOcean5846

Hey. It is so tough navigating ups and downs. I am sorry you are going through this and this step of asking a question was a huge one, so know that I (a stranger, but still a human being) am proud of you for doing so.

I also suffer from these "mood swings", but they can vary in lengths of time. Sometimes it changes every week, sometimes an up (but usually a down) can last 6 months. During the really tough and long term downs, I go to my doctor and talk to them about how the changes I am noticing in myself (not that I am depressed, the things that are happening to me, like lack of motivation, poor sleep, consistent crying over nothing, feeling anxious to do normal tasks, not taking care of myself enough, etc.). I have been diagnosed with depression three times and put onto anti-depressants each of those times. The first two times I was on them, I talked to my doctor about stopping after about a year because I was feeling much better and was in a completely different place mentally than before and wanted to see if I could go medication free. The most recent time, two years ago, I told my doctor I was going to be stopping taking them because they were giving me much worse side effects than the actual depression (I have never self harmed, nor think I could do that personally as it gives me a panic attack to think about doing it) and I had already tried a few different medications/doses and it was actually making things so so so much worse (a lot of weight gain, literally sitting at home on my couch after work every day just crying until I exhausted myself to sleep, and nausea all the time making me not want to eat most of the time, all happening for months and months).

I don't have the answers, unfortunately, because I am still working through my on and off depression as well, but when it is really bad, knowing "this will not last forever" is literally the only mantra that gets me through it. I do recommend reaching out to a doctor for medication if you believe that may help you, but it is a tough, tough road for medications. Often it gets worse before it gets better, but for some I know, after a few weeks, they start to feel better. There is also the no medication route, and since that is where I am at, I personally support that as well, but I am not a medical professional, and even if this is your choice, I would discuss that choice with a medical professional. As for your question of if there is "on and off depression", as a non-medical professional, I would say absolutely. I know many others in my life have been on anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medication for 6 months and never needed it again, and some who have been on and off medications for ten years. Just as life is not consistently the same, moods and emotions are not.

Last point I would make is that talking to a psychiatrist/psychologist when I am depressed has not really done a lot for me. I was finding I was depressed for no reason (likely a chemical imbalance in my brain rather than based on life events) and I didn't really understand how to move forward with the professional. They would want me to talk about my problems, but anything I was struggling with was not the reason I was depressed, so it really was just someone to talk to (which can definitely be helpful, but I found talking to my parents, friends, and other family was just as useful) rather than working towards a goal of "not being depressed". The medications helped the first two times while I was in a down, and the last time, I changed my diet and exercise regiment completely, and then changed the people I was spending time with. Changing all of those things gave me something else to concentrate on regularly, and I realized one day that I was not feeling down.

Good luck :)