Recently diagnosed

[xariaisaname]

Hello,

I have always suspected that there was something wrong but it took years, 12 years in fact, for me to actually seek help. After a failed suicide attempt through OTC pain medication, I finally built up the courage to tell my mom that there was a problem.

The dark thoughts started when I was 11. I'm not entirely sure what triggered it but I remember feeling very anxious at school. I just didn't want to be there. They have continued on and off and now, at 23 years old, I think I can acknowledge that what I've been feeling weren't just mood swings.

I saw a psychiatrist less than a week ago and she has confirmed that I'm depressed. She wants to look into my case more to see whether I'm experiencing what she calls situational depression or if I have another disorder. I also recently learned that my father was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years before his death.

I've been taking an antidepressant and an anti-psychotic although I feel it may still be too early to tell whether this has been working or not. I'm hoping to understand my situation better through reading your experiences an insights as well as talking to my doctor to better understand what I am going through.

[Mikka]

A diagnosis of depression can be overwhelming. There are many choices to make about treatment, which can be daunting when you are depressed.

Successfully treating depression depends on your attitude toward your disease.