Is this bipolar depression?

Is this bipolar depression?I have lived with anxiety on and off all during my life so I usually post on that forum. But even though I was diagnosed with anxious depression in my 20s, I never really felt the depression part just the severe anxiety. Now that I am much older and going through some significant changes in my lifestyle and loss of independence to a certain extent, I can definitely feel the depression part taking over. I do a lot of self therapy by talking to myself, exercising, you name it and I noticed that sometimes I can go from feeling overwhelmingly depressed to actually somewhat hopeful my health anxiety which makes me think now I have a mental illness as well as all the physical illnesses I think I have in a short amount of time. I am not currently on any antidepressants and I really don't want to be. But I also don't like having these up and down mood swings that I'm experiencing. It's not severe highs and lows… I don't get manic or depressed to the point where I can't function but at various points during the day I seem to be The mornings seem to be the worst for my depression and as the day goes on I feel much better in the afternoon and evening. Does that mean that I am bipolar? Should I be posting it on the bipolar for him? Or is it just all my Health anxiety thinking I have some kind of New mental illness as well as all the physical illnesses I think I have. When I went to my new therapist and was attempting to give him my whole history in 15 minutes he said I was sounding manic. I just thought I was trying to get my story out in the allotted time. He ought to know better than to label someone so quickly, especially someone with health anxiety will take that as meaning I'm manic depressive LOL. I guess I'll post this message on the bipolar site today to see what feedback I get. But I do appreciate you listening to my whining.

I agree with Andy. You really need to talk to psychiatrist to get a diagnosis.

Manic depression (bi polar) has extreme highs usually where people get reckless and go on spending sprees, or over doing things of that nature. Then after that they go to an extreme low. Very depressed. So unless you are going from an extreme high to an extreme low, you probably have the normal (for lack of a better word) depression. I often wonder if I am bipolar too. But I don't have the extreme highs. I use to have extreme anger at times, but I don't anymore. My sister is bipolar. The doc once told her she should go ski diving. She was always looking for that adrenaline rush. But she never did. Ha...

I would talk to a doctor and find out what your diagnosis is. I am clinically depressed, but my depression has been in a type of remission from the medications I take. I have been on meds for years and it has helped a lot. I hope you find what works best for you.

Hang in there. I am glad you posted. You will probably get a lot of feed back on the bipolar forum.

Hugs, Karen...

And,

Thing is so many dx's symptoms over lap one another, especially when a person is not medicated and not using coping skills because they don't have a dx.

So hard to tell really.

If you don't feel safe, if you want to harm yourself or others, call 911 or crisis 212 in the USA

I urge to call your family doc and start there. tell them everything you said in the post. Matter of fact, print the post out and take it with you.

Let us know how you do.

We are here to support and listen. You are not alone is this. You can get better.

Peace
Trina

I urge you to