Ok wow I just read about #AtypicalDepression and I 100% have it, not the slightest doubt. All boxes checked in a heartbeat. "Leaden paralysis"? OMG there's an expression for it. Total epiphany and "I'm not alone" moment here :NekoAmaze:

This is at the root of at *least* half of my blockbuster depressive episodes. At least.

The more I read, the more I become convinced that the walls between #ADHD, #AtypicalDepression, and #Bipolar II will largely dissolve in the coming years as researchers and clinicians catch up with the reality on the ground.

Very little of that learning would be possible, BTW, without what small & shaky acceptance we have now of people sharing about their #MentalHealth issues.

Here's a big reason the #CBD findings are important.

Like existing atypical antipsychotics, CBD was found to block D2 at high doses. Beyond schizophrenia & bipolar disorder, these drugs are useful in moderate to severe #depression, depression with unstable mood, and #AtypicalDepression.

But, side effects of existing antipsychotics can literally kill. Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease.

CBD may offer a better tradeoff for some people.

"intolerance of personal rejection … vulnerability to the loss of romantic relationships … upon romantic disappointment, these individuals … became acutely depressed with massive dysphoria … they displayed an exaggerated giddy and/or euphoric response to romantic opportunities.

When depressed … they tended to oversleep, to overeat, with a craving for sweets … to feel extremely fatigued"

The High Prevalence of "Soft" #Bipolar (II) Features In #AtypicalDepression, Perugi et al, 1998

More than one article out there links #BipolarII with #AtypicalDepression. Hmm.

People with so-called atypical #Depression - those who tend to sleep more, eat more, be anxious & rejection sensitive - also tend to have a mood which improves fairly quickly when life goes their way. This is claimed to be similar for people diagnosed with #Bipolar II.

There is a lot of phenotypic overlap between people diagnosed as one or the other. Maybe they're pretty much the same thing, maybe it's a spectrum.