QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I have suffered from cycles of depression my whole life. I am currently 31 years old and recently went through a month long depression that was the worst I've ever experienced. Some background: I've never had regular menstrual periods. I was taking birth control to regulate this for several years, but have not taken them since 1996. I believe my irregular menstruation and depression are linked. In December of this year my deepest depression corresponded with what should have been the beginning of my December menstruation (I skipped it), and the depression lasted until the day before I menstruated in January. I am trying to get an appointment with an endocrinologist through my OB/GYN. I'm hoping I might get some answers. I've been told by counselors to take anti-depressants but don't want to until I know what's going on with my body. I don't want to take anti-depressants at all, really. Do you have any advice on what I should do to stop this cyclical nightmare of depression? It's affecting my whole life.
ANSWER:
Something is obviously wrong, and you may need to take anti-depressant medication.
It's most likely that an underlying problem is worsened by your hormonal imbalances.
I recommend you look at the
screening test
I use for my patients.
There are many diagnoses worsened by hormonal problems including the BPD, depression, and
recurrent unipolar depression. Cyclothymia may be present as well.
Don't minimize the effects depression has on your body. A picture of how the brain
functions during depression and recovery is
available here.
