I'm finally in remission and I am putting my life back together. I've been cycling between severe and mild depressive episodes for years, with the occasional mixed episode, and I am finally stable. It had gotten to the point where pdoc and I were discussing ECT. He even referred me to the psychiatrist who had done it for me in the past.

We decided to try another anti-depressant while waiting for the consult. It was 40 mg of Fetzima, a newer SNRI. And it worked wonders bringing me out of my depression. It got to the point where I was starting to get hypomania. I saw the specialist and we decided that the ECT was no longer necessary and he recommended adding a mood stabilizer that was not an anti-convulsant so that I could have ECT with it as need. Last time I had ECT, I had to go off my mood stabilizers since they inhibited the seizures, and I ended up in a mixed episode. My pdoc put me on 40 mg of Latuda.

I'm doing really well right now. I've gotten active again on PsychCentral, even moderating again and I am restarting the Bipolar Support Chat which I lead in the past. I am going to Peer Connections group with the local CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association.) I'm moving back into my condo, from my parents place and I am going back to work in April. I may even go and get my Health Care Aide certificate.

I am doing really well, and I had gotten to the point where I didn't think it was possible. I was very passively suicidal and now I am happy to be alive.