I've struggled with mood swings my whole life. Sometimes I get incapacitated or detached from my life and those around me.
A webmd page lists the following as symptoms of depression:
A depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning
Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
Insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death)
A sense of restlessness or being slowed down
Significant weight loss or weight gain
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/wh...depression
I'd say most of these are true off and on. Insomnia is common, but not even weekly. Diminished interest does happen to me daily, and is connected to impaired concentration. I've certainly had recurring thoughts of death, but have been to scared of it to follow through (on my 32nd birthday, in 2007, I had a falling out with a group of friends. It was too much to handle at once, and spent 4 hours trying to figure out how to kill myself, but in the end, I wasn't satisfied that I'd do so successfully, and indeed feared incurring further disability onto myself). And finally, I do fatigue easily, and struggle with weight. I'm too friendly with food, and too out of breath to exercise meaningfully.
My parents are social workers, and my mother has said she thinks I have a form of PTSD. It wouldn't shock me. PTSD does appear in spina bifida at times, even though SB is something you are born with. I guess it is related to long surgical histories and abuse by those that don't accept us, but I'm not sure. either way, I am not diagnosed as such.
A webmd page lists the following as symptoms of depression:
A depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning
Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
Insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death)
A sense of restlessness or being slowed down
Significant weight loss or weight gain
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/wh...depression
I'd say most of these are true off and on. Insomnia is common, but not even weekly. Diminished interest does happen to me daily, and is connected to impaired concentration. I've certainly had recurring thoughts of death, but have been to scared of it to follow through (on my 32nd birthday, in 2007, I had a falling out with a group of friends. It was too much to handle at once, and spent 4 hours trying to figure out how to kill myself, but in the end, I wasn't satisfied that I'd do so successfully, and indeed feared incurring further disability onto myself). And finally, I do fatigue easily, and struggle with weight. I'm too friendly with food, and too out of breath to exercise meaningfully.
My parents are social workers, and my mother has said she thinks I have a form of PTSD. It wouldn't shock me. PTSD does appear in spina bifida at times, even though SB is something you are born with. I guess it is related to long surgical histories and abuse by those that don't accept us, but I'm not sure. either way, I am not diagnosed as such.
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
