Spring triggers hypomania and agitation in me. As many of my readers already know, one spring over twenty years ago, tricyclic antidepressant misuse, seasonal affective disorder, and underlying undiagnosed bipolar disorder resulted in a week-long manic psychotic break.
Today, I am inspired by bpnurse‘s post about her SSDI physical to update you on my recent SSDI (Social Security Disability Income) eligibility review. When I went in for my recent SSDI review interview, it benefited me that I was hypomanic and agitated since spring was approaching and I had not yet seen my psychiatrist to adjust my medications.
Just one look at the form they had me fill out was enough to know that my mind was all over the place. I had multiple arrows leading to notes in the margins of the form to give more detailed answers to the form’s supposedly simple questions. I was unable to contain myself to the form. Similarly, when answering the psychiatrist’s questions, I was all over the place with my answers. She had to stop me several times to get me to focus, to contain me. Succinct, I was NOT. Anyway… at the end of the interview, the very nice psychiatrist told me I gave her WAY MORE than she needed, but within all that I said, she got what she needed. She asked me how I would describe myself at the time, and I answered “agitated.” She nodded her head. Yep, I was agitated.
The review determined that I am still eligible for benefits. Yay! Don’t have to go out and start cycling (as in mood cycling, not bicycling) as I look for work.
The week following the SSDI interview, I saw my psychiatrist to reduce my dose of SSRI antidepressant (of which I already took a very low dose). We planned on weaning me from it completely, but in doing so, I started to become depressed, so we kept it at half my previous dose.
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