Hi, sendyourmind (cute name)!
Lamictal is a very good medication for BP; it is not only a mood stabilizer but has a strong AD effect also, that was an accident found in a study for use in BP treatment just for mood stabilization.
It does not have that effect in clinical depression, only BP depression. BP depression is very different; we are not so much teary and sad, but we have "psychomotor slowing" which basically shuts down our bodies physically except for the autotomic system which keeps the heart beating, breathing, etc. It makes it almost impossible to move, cant get out of bed, even bathing once a day is a near impossiblity. So we lay there and become prisoners in our own bodies, feeling guilty becuase we WANT to do the things we need to and feeling angry becuase we can/t. It's called leaden paralysis. It comes in varying degrees, but it's not uncommon to be bedridden for weeks or months. Clinical depression doesn't have that component, it does have fatigue, of course, but that is the main difference between bp and clinical depression.
I am curious why you were dxd BP II if you do not have any hypomanic episodes. A dx of BP requires at least one episode lasting a week or more with several symptoms combined. BP is based on hypomainia/mania, not just depression. Here is a link to help you better understand yourself, perhaps you are mainly depression/anxiety/panic, which is very common; BP is only about 1% of the population and it seems that lately some docs/pdocs are just jumping on teh BP bandwagon and lableing people who may not be; which is terrible becuase our meds arent usually going to help them. Try this test:
http://www.dbsalliance.org/questionnaire/screening_intro.asp
Of course this test isn't to be used instead of a doctor, but you DO need to know what you are looking at to be labeled as BP.
I'm sure there is more to your story than you have mentioned, so if I or anyone can help more, please let us know
I'm glad you found us!
Shannon 