Opinions - Atypical as a temporary mood stabilizer?

[chooch]

SWiM is generally a down kinda guy (diagnosed with a "mid" level depression and generally anxious), and tried many anti-depressants to not much effect. Swim is currently on 10mg Cipralex (Escitalopram) and gets 60 1mg clonazapams a month, which he generally takes 30 of a month and stashes the rest away like a squirrel. Swim also smokes a couple to a few grams of cannabis a day, which he finds more effective than most doctor perscribed meds, but Swim doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to his benzos, swim digresses.

Swim was discussing "options" with his doctor, cannabis was a definite no (without much reason), but anti-psychotic talk went on the table for a second (maybe third time). Swim got a little excited at the opportunity to try a new substance and told doctor that he will think about it and talk about it on next visit (bout a month from now). Oh yeah, swim was told Zyprexa (Olanzapine) is on the table and swim thinks lithium possibly.

All the reading seems to say anti-psychotics can be useful in what seems like extreme cases of what they are for, but for depression and anxiety, especially a "mid" level depression (what a stupid classification), they would probably do more harm than good.

But swim has read that zyprexa can act as quick as a few hours as a mood stabalizer. There are times when swim could use a temporary mood stablizer but would like to get opinions from others on the viability/suitability of something like zyprexa for a temporary dulling of the senses? Or is Swim way off base as to the possibilties of anti-psychotics?

Swim and I thank you in advance.

[razorwiredildo]

Swim has a bipolar friend who was on prozac and zyprexa for a while. The combination worked for him at first, but got less effective later. He is on lithium now. Swim beleives that the zyprexa was to calm his friends manic states and reduce agitation. Zyprexa may help swiy's anxiety, but probably not his depression. In swims opinion, there are much better drugs to combat anxiety than an antipsychotic, given the side effects that antipsychotics can have.