Depression

It's different for everyone, especially as it can occur as different types and to different degrees. Best course of action is to trust your friends, cus they can observe your behaviours objectively where you might'nt, and speak to your GP about it.

I'm sure Kara will post something soon enough, always got some good advice does Kara, but in the meantime this may be helpful

Depression: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Symptoms: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Hope this helps

 

oh depression that old thing

do you hate yourself ? do you see no point in anything ? do you feel unloveable?

then perhaps your getting there best see your doc

 

Good links.

I've had depression twice, and yeah, it's different than just "not being happy" or "being down about stuff". It's something more all-encompassing. The negative thoughts become almost constant, and only go away when I force myself to think about other things. It literally starts weighing me down, like wearing a heavy jacket, and it becomes harder and harder to remember NOT feeling that way.

Lex

 

Lex put it great. I would only add that for me it was also physically painful. As in my joints would ache and such. Also, getting up in the morning felt pointless, and I literally had to FORCE myself to get up. It's not fun.

Just a word of caution: tell the truth about everything you feel when you go to the doctor. These days the docs are all too ready to just put you on some medication and send you out the door...

 

These two put it completely perfectly.

It goes on for a long time, and it is hard to find anything happy or worthwhile about...anything. It's kind of like drowning, and you feel like you can't get out.

 

I have suffered with depression on and off for a long time and I would say if you think that you are depressed go and see your GP, the sooner it is dealt with the better it is for you.

 

I read the symptoms from the NHS, And i can honestly say I have 8/10 of the phsychological symptoms, I guess this makes me officially depressed huh...Oh well.
P.S Im tired atm so it could be me being tired.

 

Depression is a tricky subject because it varies person to person and it varies in severity. You could have a mild depression and not even know it, just pass it off as being pessimistic or anti-social and be done with it.

The classic method ive heard for knowing if your depressed seems to be if your very sad / emotionally drained / tired / want to be alone and you cant actually pin-point a reason why you feel that way. If a family member just died its normal to feel these things, but if there are no big reasons or events and you still feel these things it might just be depression.

Trust me though, if you have strong depression you will know. Its like having a little rain cloud hovering over you 24/7 that you cant get rid of.

 

I think that I am heading down that same way.I am always tired and emotionally drained and I always want to be left alone.It scares the shit out of me to slip into a depression.

 

It shouldn't scare you -- if you worry too much about becoming depressed, it could actually make things worse for you by adding additional stress and focusing your thoughts even more on your perceived weaknesses and failings. A lot of people suffer from depression, and it doesn't make you a weak or unworthy person.

If you find yourself feeling the way you describe, then seeing your doctor is a must. At the very least, he or she can help you work through some of the things you're feeling and experiencing and understand them better. If your doctor prescribes anti-depressants, it doesn't mean you're crazy -- just that there are chemical imbalances in your brain that are beyond your control and that medication can help correct.

The medical part aside (because it can be scary, and is still heavily stigmatized), I really think the best way to combat depression is with an activist mindset. Focus on the things in life you do enjoy -- make some time each day to incorporate those things into your daily life and try to stick to a routine as much as possible. Read a novel, write, cook dinner for friends, exercise (this one's really important), and try to break things down into small achievable tasks. I find that when I'm depressed (it's something I've dealt with pretty much since I was thirteen), I get really overwhelmed by everything in life and lose track of myself because I'm thinking too much about how impossible all my big life goals are, which just makes things worse. Focus on taking things one step at a time, and really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment from completing tasks, no matter how minor. For me at least, it helps to talk to friends about how I feel when I'm depressed, even though it's hard -- a lot more people than you may think have suffered from it, and just the act of sharing your inner emotions with someone you trust can help lift the burden.

And the most important thing is (trust me, I've learned from experience): DON'T SELF-MEDICATE. It will only make things worse, will exacerbate your depression, and can lead to worse things. Talk to your doctor, focus on the small things that brighten your life, and stay as positive as you can. This, too, shall pass. =)

I'm always happy to talk about depression/mental health issues, and please don't be afraid to pm me.

 

As the good people have said so far, if you are worried about it, see a doctor.

Generally speaking, a doctor might ask (and you can think about) these sorts of questions:

1. Have you been feeling low/sad much more than usual? (How often?)
2. Do you have any thoughts/feelings of worthlessness? (How often?)
3. Have you ever been so low, you thought about harming yourself? (How often? How? Did you act on them?)
4. Do things that interested you no longer give you any enjoyment?
5. Have you ever had any thoughts or beliefs that struck you as bizzare later on?
6. How are you sleeping? Less than usual with a disturbed sleep pattern (or conversly, more than ususal, is it very difficult to wake you up?)
7. How is your appetite? Are you eating much less than you normally do? Or much more?
8. Have you had any unexplained weight loss or gain recently?

Roughly (very roughly) if you've answered "Yes" to at least 2 of points 1-4, and to one of the other questions, it might be an indicator of depression. It's best to arrange to go see a medical professional *immediately* because there's so much that can be offered as help for you.

 

Thank you all for everything.I think I will go see my doctor and see what she suggests.I don't want to feel like this and I try so hard not to feel like this.

 

good luck hope it all turns out ok

 

"jotheoneandonly" no. 8 on the list is you and acctually from what you have told me alot of that list and I really think you should get help, like I have and am having. I know it is scary but please go and see your GP!

 

The problem is that there is no simple answer.
Depression can take different forms, not just feelings of saddness, but also anger can come from depression.

You may not know that you have depression, but you WILL know you're feeling off, like something is wrong.

 

Well when I first got depression I was unaware it was that. It took me time to see it was. You need to do something before it really grabs hold of you.

 

Don't be worried. It's better to have an understanding of what's wrong than to not have an understanding. It's also good that you recognized that you weren't feeling well, because it can get to a point where you are chronichally depressed and you've been that way for so long that you have no recollection of what it feels like to be any different.

So go see your doctor. See what he has to say. But also be sure to spend time with people. To get some exercise. To remain engaged in life, even if you don't really feel like it. Good luck!

 

Depression is an extremely common disorder among every ethnic group in the world. The good thing is that there are so many different types of medicine that help those with depression out. A typical anti-depressant would be prozac, paxil, celexa, lexapro, etc.

I would go and see your general practitioner about this and tell him/her/it how you feel. They diagnosed me with clinical depression at first, but I've had half of my diagnoses change since I got out of the psych ward.