November 25, 2016

Dear Therapist:

I am in my 30s married with kids and work part time. Since before my marriage (about 15 years ago) I have always been somewhat moody, but I  not exactly sure why. At times I just want to go under the covers and don't want to have anything to do with anyone. Other times I am full of energy. Winters are particularly hard. A friend said that I might have bipolar disorder, but I am doing ok as a wife and as a mother and holding down a job. My life is not falling apart. Do I need to see a professional?

Response:

No professional should diagnose or rule out a diagnosis sight unseen.  There are many factors that go into a diagnosis and treatment plan.  Also the process of diagnosis and treatment is generally not a linear one.  Rather, it often follows an indirect path depending on the person’s background and the information being offered.

You speak of having been “moody” for many years.  You also mention that there are times that you feel depressed and other times during which you energetic.  Without further information, it’s difficult to get a full understanding of the issues that you face.  That being said, I will make a couple of assumptions and base my response on those.

It sounds as if you are describing your moodiness as intermittent feelings of depression.  I will assume that your reference to moodiness is simply that.  When you say that there are times that you are full of energy, I will assume that you are describing energy as simply a lack of depressed feeling, rather than manic (or over-the-top) feelings of euphoria, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.  In other words, there are times that you feel depressed and times that you don’t.

Based on these assumptions, it doesn’t sound like Bipolar Disorder, though of course even notwithstanding these assumptions there may be other factors that will not be addressed in this response.  One diagnosis that I would consider is Pervasive Depressive Disorder (previously called “Dysthymic Disorder”), which is essentially general depression.  Your mention of increased symptoms in the wintertime would have me consider Seasonal Affective Disorder, which causes depression during a particular season.  This occurs most commonly in the winter.  In fact, SAD has been called “winter depression.”

No one should have to live with constant feelings of depression.  There are various clinical approaches that can help alleviate depressive symptoms.  It sounds as if you could benefit from psychotherapy to address your symptoms and their causes.  A good therapist could help you to better deal with and reduce your feelings of depression.

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