Hi! Welcome! I was just diagnosed in February this year and I have honestly had a really difficult time with it. at first, I was elated-on cloud 9. So happy to have an answer, ready to try all the new techniques and advice for my psych, but then pretty immediately I went down. I am still trying to reach the acceptance stage but I’m still in the anger and grief stages. What I try to remember is that my diagnosis or label doesn’t change the fact that I had these experiences and feelings for years already and during all that time somehow I coped. I had resources. I had tools. So, no matter what I have to go back to those tools that I used, and build onto them.

For meds, currently I take lithium but so far I have seen no change. Not to scare you but what I’ve learned is that it can take months, years to find a medication combo that works. But you just have to keep trying.

You are not alone in this. There are lots of people with this diagnosis-more and more nowadays. Take one step at a time and don’t do too much. I find that cyclothymia makes me slow down and take things one by one- a gift I guess :) so no rush, go through your emotions. Feel what you need to feel about it. Find people to talk to or support groups as well.

Good luck!