Bipolar/Cyclothymia and TMS

hello

a few months ago, i was diagnosed with Cyclothymia, by a psychiatrist, having experienced quick depressive and hypomanic mood swings for about a year leading to the dx.

for me, the disorder works similarly to bipolar (it’s supposedly on the bipolar spectrum), except my cycle pretty much runs over the course of a month in length, and has never blossomed into full blown mania. typically, i’ll experience 1-3 days of heavily elevated mood, followed by a jarring crash into depression which lasts a week or two. then i even out a bit until the hypomania returns.

it’s really difficult

i’ve started on a mood stabilizer which actually seemed to subdue these shifts for a month or two. but it happened again over this weekend. guess that’s why i’m here

i was reading about depression and anxiety’s connection to tms. i believe it. makes sense the body would use it as a distraction technique.

but what about bipolar? that’s a genetic thing, no?

thank you

 

Lithium really worked for me, I had it on me, when the YCSO picked me up & put me in jail and then I "had" to take it! That's when I really found peace, "in jail " I came down, quit pacing like a caged wild animal. Then, I could sleep at night, normally...the regular 8 hrs a night;
And afterwards I didn't die HARD & CRASH moping around behind closed doors afraid to come out, quietly leaving my close friends knocking on my door, SADLY SLEEPING MY LIFE AWAY...for weeks then months!!
I didn't need the lithium forever.
Blessings & Prayers,
Chow for now,
geo

 

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums! It sounds like you’ve been through a lot and that you’re getting some good help. I think a TMS mental health professional could speak more to this but I wouldn’t necessarily treat bipolar as purely TMS. Yes, as far as I understand there is a genetic component to all mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.
There is also a strong environmental component to them and I’m sure repressed emotions contribute. I would think working with a good therapist would be key for you, in addition to the medication. It’s also my understanding that lots of folks can’t treat their anxiety or depression with TMS methods only, that medication can also be very valuable depending on how severe or disabling the anxiety or depression is. This would be a great question for the therapists at the Pain Psychology Center!