how do you know if your're depressed?

[janny108]

How do you know if you're depressed? Or situational depression? Due to hormones?
There are some situations that are ongoing yet I really can't do anything about them.
Jan

 

[Lakercom]

There are tests a person can do. There are some standard tests different doctors have given me that take only about five minutes to do. Perhaps one of these tests can be obtained online at a site like mayoclinic.com. I hope this might help.

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

You would need to talk with a professional (counselor or physician or social worker) who works with depression. They can help to figure it out by the symptoms that you have and asking you questions based on what you tell them. You family doctor may be a person to start with.

Do you have someone you'd feel comfortable talking too?

 

[janny108]

You would need to talk with a professional (counselor or physician or social worker) who works with depression. They can help to figure it out by the symptoms that you have and asking you questions based on what you tell them. You family doctor may be a person to start with.

Do you have someone you'd feel comfortable talking too?

Well I did mention it to my doctor, I think it could be related to the iron deficiency I have, the fatigue.
Jan

 

[BreathofFreshMusic]

*** A few signs of depression are isolating yourself from others, you become irritable, you sleep a lot, you withdraw from all activities and hobbies, you don't want to work or do much and you never really have energy. When you are depressed you could be depressed for no reason at all or sometimes for the smallest reasons that you normally wouldn't care about.
*** These are just some of the symptoms of depression. You should definitely get a Dr.s opinion because there's MORE than ONE kind of depression. You want to make sure you know what you're dealing with and how you can help make your life better. Like I read in someone else's response - you could have the signs of depression but not even have it at all. You might just be lacking something in your diet! Hope I helped a little. God Bless
Elle

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

When I was depressed I cried all the time, slept all time, and usually felt like I had been hit by a truck as well as having that horrible heartachey pain that you get when you're grieving over a loved one.

 

[fisherman2]

For me, I want to be left alone,,don't care any more,,have lost those that i loved...lost my job yesterday, bills, no money, and wife don't care...therefore i am depressed..

 

[cyberlizard]

How do you know if you're depressed?

i work as a psych nurse on an acute psychiatric nurse as a senior grade....

when assessing, these are some of the things i ask about.


mood - current and previous
interests - these are a good measure of anhedonia
sleep - quality and quantity, time of going to sleep and time of waking (the latter being important)
memory - ask standard questions and autobiographical info (memory is affected in depression)
thinking - depressed people are slower in articulating answers than non depressed people
view of self / self image - depressed people have tendency to rate themselves below average
plans for the future - depressed people don't really think about it
appetite - previous, current
sex drive - as a nurse people feel obliged to answer

i also look at current life events.

it is important to distinguish between dysthymia (which is prolonged low mood (>6 months), reactive depression, which as it suggests is a natural response to [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] that happens in life, and endogenous depression which appears to commence for no apparent reason.

occasionally, depression may manifest itself in psychotic features (usually related to somatic issues), which often leads to severe self neglect.


Steve