To be concerned about how much my mood fluctuates day-to-day?

[tuhitjgrtge]

I have anxiety and have been taking sertraline for 6 weeks. I'm currently signed off of work as I had a bit of an anxiety breakdown/burn out.

My mood seems quite unstable, but I'm not sure if that's normal or not as I've been like it for as long as I can remember. Yesterday I had a nice day out with family, I went to a busy restaurant and was in crowds all day and felt pretty content and happy all day, it was like the fog and clouds had cleared and I felt good. I wasn't manic, just content.

Today I woke up and I feel so incredibly low. Everything feels like it takes too much effort. I'm still in my PJs and haven't even brushed my teeth today yet, a stark contrast to yesterday where I had done my hair and makeup. Preparing meals takes too much effort so I've just snacked all day instead. Nothing sounds good anymore, I'm trying to make weekend plans but everything sounds boring and doesn't interest me. I find myself wishing I could just go to sleep forever.

I seem to cycle through these kind of stages most weeks. I'm not sure if it's normal or whether to mention it to my GP. I don't think it's the medication because I remember being like this before. It's not like I have extreme highs and lows, just mild contentment/neutral moods and then extreme lows.

AIBU to be concerned?

Sounds like me and I'm diagnosed with clinical depression and social anxiety.Physiciatric dr also mentioned seeking diagnoses of autism (a.d.d)

I'm similar. So annoying.

Mines defo linked to my cycle, more lows in the second half

I used to be the same depending on my periods. Most days I could be really sociable, and then some days felt like I didn’t want to even speak.

The other thing is that you had a very busy, sociable day yesterday, all things that can be difficult with anxiety. Well done for that.

Maybe today, your body and emotions need a down day. Did you have to cancel plans?

So your mood lifted in response to pleasurable activities? That's normal. Your low mood the rest of time isn't, but it's normal for your mental state to vary - emotions are transient and humans are not robots.

I would also observe that for someone who's been very unwell as you have that your busy sociable day would have been tiring/draining which will lower your mood afterwards while you restore your energy. Tiredness affects mood.

Have you come across behavioural activation? It's a CBT strategy for managing depression where you gradually build up more activities each day, on the basis that by forcing yourself to do nice things even though you have zero motivation or desire to do them you then start developing motivation to do more. It's evidence based.

Also, if you're the poster I think you are, I am pretty sure you are worrying about this because you're in a very anxious state where you are over-analysing and worrying about most things.

Which is understandable in your circumstances but it is important to keep bringing things back in perspective when you are catastrophising.

Go easy on yourself.