I feel very unhappy, moody, and I will get mean one moment and nice the next.I have been on antidepressants before and they made me very sleepy, I would sleep 17 hours a day on them so I stopped taking them. Is there something else?
Thanks for your email. No-one likes to be unhappy and certainly it sounds like your unpredictable moods are worrying you.
If you think you may be depressed, it is important to see your doctor. In order to make a diagnosis of major depression, doctors use the DSM1V criteria which include 5 or more of the following symptoms which must be present during the same two week period, and one of which must be depressed mood or loss of pleasure/ interest in usual activities:
Depressed mood, e.g. tearfulness or irritability
Decreased interest or pleasure in everyday activities
Significant weight loss or weight gain
Increased or decreased sleep
loss of energy and fatigue
Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
Reduced concentration or indecisiveness
Thoughts of suicide or death
The treatment of depression may involve medication but sometimes talking therapy is all that’s needed. Sometimes treatment involves both the latter. It really depends on the exact diagnosis and the level of severity. If medication is needed, there are many different types. Some of these are more sedating than others and based on your previous reaction, your doctor should be able to choose a medicine that is more suitable to you. Sometimes one needs to trial a couple of different medicines before you find the right one for you; even then side effects may be troublesome for a couple of weeks but usually they disappear thereafter.
The best thing to do at this stage would be to go and see your doctor to establish a diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
All the best.