How do you know you are depressed?

LegacyUser

I am not messing, but how do you know if you are depressed and not just sad and feeling down?

I often feel very very down and as often feel fine. How do I know when/if I need to seek help?

oil painting

Unregistered wrote: »

I am not messing, but how do you know if you are depressed and not just sad and feeling down?

I often feel very very down and as often feel fine. How do I know when/if I need to seek help?

Hi,

I just found this test which you might like to do for some clarity,

http://depression.about.com/cs/diagnosis/l/bldepscreenquiz.htm

but depression effects everyone differently and there are alot of resources available to treat it.

wylo

I think one of the more obvious symptoms is a lack of interest in anything, from any daily activity to a serious lack of motivation to even receive a call from a friend. Guilt is another strong feeling for some.

If you find that you are getting these feelings for no apparent reason why dont you start off by looking at your diet, exercise and sleeping patterns and then work from there.

lynsalot

Hey OP,

It's exactly right. It's a general feeling of apathy or lack of interest in anything. A feeling of sadness for no apparent reason. An anxiousness when there's nothing to worry about. It happens from time to time and can last anything from one or two days to 2 weeks.

If u think back, are u suffering with these feelings for a while? When did the general feeling down start? Do u ever find it hard to get up in the mornings because u feel crap (This doesn't include hung over or gen monday mornings )

Do u feel like u need to talk to ppl about things but can't explain why u feel the way u do. Paranoia is another symptom or feeling like ur leaning too much on ppl.

The best advice I can give u is go to your doctor. If I could recommend one, i'd recommend custom medical centre in IFSC in Dublin if u live near. They're very good and will give u all the time u need to explain things. They don't push medication on u... the other thing u can do is go to speak to a counsellor. Just book one session if u want. They can't tell you if it's depression but if u can't work out what's wrong u need to speak to a GP. Sorry to coin a phrase but without knowing ur feelings it's hard to say.

I was diagnosed and am getting on really well now. It's kinda saved my marriage. If u wanna chat just PM me. But I really would urge ya to make an appointment and run it past a doc and they'll tell you for sure if it's just regular blues or chronic depression. The blues (which is despression in itself) is caused because of an event which happened in ur life and gets u down - a death, relationship break up etc. Chronic depression is just a general feeling of being down that's outside of your control.

Best of luck with it.
Hope u get it sorted
Lindsay

Pete4779

If it's for more than a few days and becomes a few weeks, and that over that time you are predominantly down, withdrawn, no motivation, maybe even sleep and eating is off as well, that becomes depression.

Definitely go to a GP, or better still get a psychiatric assessment, as you would with a skin condition or anything else; talk to a specialist.