Sudden but common mental health outbreaks?
This is kinda a new thing for me to write and I'm not sure if this will be a topic of interest but hopefully there are others who may feel the same so we can inform and advise each other with tips and coping mechanisms!
From time to time, I tend to develop so many overwhelming feelings (kinda like a depressive episode) where I feel total negativity, loss in motivation, sadness, anger, irritation and so on. I literally just feel like there is really no point in anything and that I'm going crazy.
Usually it is accumulated just by one bad experience on that one day, but it still manages to have the power to makes my mental health deteriorate within days. These periods usually last a few weeks or so for me.
Nonetheless, a majority of the time my mental health is fine. It's just those depressive episodes occurring here and there.
Does anyone have any tips or know what could be wrong with me?
Comments
@lynnachau I'm sorry to hear that you have been experiencing this- how have you been feeling recently? Has anything in this thread stuck out to you as particularly helpful or resonated with you?
For example, I relate to your situation a lot- even when I do my best to preempt the mood drainers with positive habits that boost my health and sell care. That can make it extra frustrating. I've tried adding routine changes o hopefully that works for me. Is this something you find as well? That no matter what you do to change it, your mood still goes up and down to the point where it affects you? You aren't alone in that.
Tay100
As for tips, you could try and use a mood tracker to see if you can notice any trends in how you're feeling? This might give some insights on things that may influence your mood (e.g. sleep, eating, socialising, exercise, etc)
Do you mind telling us some more about what usually happens during these episodes? You've got a lot of insight into your feelings, so I'm just curious as to what thoughts and behaviours are coming up at these times? For instance, is lacking motivation associated with certain thoughts or behaviours?
When you say the majority of the time your mental health is fine, does your mood stay roughly the same at these times?
@Lost_Space_Explorer5 Thanks so much for replying, I'll definitely try using a mood tracker.
To answer your questions:
During these episodes, I've noticed that I start thinking about many bad situations that have occurred in my life. Whenever this occurs, I feel very weak and vulnerable as its as if i have no control over my thoughts and feelings, that may eventually cause me to act/lash out. This feeling of vulnerability makes me want to punish, judge and criticise myself for being so out of control and sensitive. I tend to think I'm a bad person who is unstable and unable to control any emotions, and should seek help. Its extremely overwhelming, i always feel an urge to just explode or lash out. Usually I just like staying in my bed in the dark and going on my phone with as less contact with people as possible.
When my mental health is fine, my mood is pretty much consistent and well.
Hi @lynnachau I hope you are feeling okay today! I would say to talk to a professional about your symptoms if you can or maybe do some research yourself. What you have talked about resonates with me as I have bipolar characterised specifically by depression. Before I was diagnosed I used to have this feeling of being 'sad for no reason' or that 'I always end up sad eventually' which would last a few weeks. Then I would go back to my usual 'happy' state where I'm usually pretty optimistic and functional. I'm not saying that this is an illness you have but there are a few different types of mental heath issues that can be characterised by sudden sad periods rather than an overall state of sadness, such as the many different types of depression, so you're not alone in feeling this way!
I agree with @Lost_Space_Explorer5 that a mood tracker might be a good way to figure out if anything is causing these emotions or if you're finding any particular symptoms coming up! For example, school stress, work, or even certain friends or family members that drain your energy.
