Would you suggest that I get a prescription?

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I have always been depressed for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I feel sky high, most times I feel suicidally low. I've tried medications before for depression and it didn't help. Could have been the wrong type of medicine, I suppose?

When I finally get to the doctor, I don't generally feel in my "low" state of mind so I don't talk about my symptoms. Plus if I were feeling "low" I probably would have cancelled the doctor's appointment altogether and just stayed at home.

I'm anxious a lot. I sit in an office at work and I am anxious thinking that someone may walk in the door and need my help. Afraid someone may call me on the phone. I get meltdowns easily if I am wearing an itchy shirt, or if my hair is touching my neck..too hot in the room...I have a meeting... these things that are ridiculous, but I honestly cant help it. I know anxiety medication helps me a lot, and helped me pass speech class when I was in high school.

When I am at work, I could have tons of work to do, and they are menial tasks, but a lot of them.... and it is super hard to get started. Do I need ADD medication? I can generally focus on the things I like to, but when it comes to ANYTHING else, its difficult. My mind switches off that task and to something that I would rather be thinking about.

Do I need ADD medicine?

Do you think I am generally depressed or bi-polar?

What do you think maybe I need instead?

From your own experience...what do you suggest I do? Please share your story.

You know what the best medication for depression is? A solid diet, good exercise, and a daily routine. I've been on enough medications that I can say I am an expert on the subject. My depression didn't go away until I got OFF the medication. It's no different than drinking alcohol when you are depressed. Alcohol is a depressant; meds are an anti-depressant. There is about as much difference between those seeming opposites as there is between a vegan and an anti-vegan, or a feminist and an anti-feminist.

There is some verse in the Bible that says something along the lines of "people that think they are different rarely are" or something. Maybe a Biblical scholar can find what I mean. Now, taking the meds for a little while can help, but they weren't meant to be depended on to solve the problem of depression by themselves. Usually, complex problems have multi-faceted solutions, and this is no different. It's interesting to note that before these miracle pills came along, the predecessor to modern meds were...cocaine elixirs. Seriously. And they too were billed as a wonder drug that makes all your problems go away. And the very first medication was of course, alcohol.

I've not been on medication since I was 14...had to get off of them because dad was laid off.
I'm 23 now.
Been vegetarian I feel good physically..... quite active... Of course a daily routine. I feel out of whack if I dont have a routine.
I dont drink alcohol....

I just dont want to feel like jumping off a bridge any more....(I do feel this often for no reason or trigger)

My anxiety will always be with me. No matter if i have medication or not. Meds temporarily fix things, yes, but it allows us the time to get everything else in order so that we can pull ourselves together for the long haul.... right?

Well, now it's just a matter of being you. Plenty of people are depressed, and don't have severe anxiety, or a particularly bad diet, or a lack of exercise. I have a good diet, and I get exercise, and I've been off meds for almost a year, and I was diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder. I'm usually not very depressed anymore because I have a direction. Depression is mainly caused by a lack of focus. What are you working towards? Do you have a goal?

THAT's what I was missing all my life. I have a goal. It also helps to have friends to hang out with when you need to.

My mum has bi-polar (but also NT) so what I know about the condition may not be the most accurate information. However, although exercise is great for depression, I'm not so certain what it would do for mania, if you are regularly experiencing manic or delusional states. Those might well respond quite favourably to medication as well as any suicidal urges. It seems it can be tricky to get exactly the right medicine at first and hopefully you would be offered some form of community support too. It's probably useful to get assessed if you are have not received a current diagnosis of your mental state, if you just don't go to the gp when you are too depressed to get out of the house (which is reasonable) could you create some sort of mood diary to prompt you to mention it to the gp when you do go? Otherwise they are not getting the full picture.

Meds can be a temporary fix if the long haul fix is about changing you life, finding goals etc, or they can be a long haul fix if you have problems with serotonin uptake and other issues which I think is often the case in bi-polar.

I'm deliberately not going to give a long answer and go into detail about mania or bipolar because I don't work in that field. If you do feel suicidal or feel elated [high] then its important to see a Dr about that. Its also important to let the doctor know that you both feel elated and depressed if he is going to start you on medication. Antidepressants have to be used more cautiously in people prone to mania as they can precipitate it,

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Regarding the itching try wearing cotton shirts to see if they help, cut off the tags and possibly a jumper/fleece which isn't wooly which comes upto your neck to avoid your hair brushing against it. Not sure what works best for increased sensory awareness