Am I depressed?
Over the past 5-6 months I think I've been going through depression. I'm not sure though, andI've read through dozens of websites about depression online, but they haven't really seemed to help me get any clarity on my situation. I was hoping for someone here to tell me what they think...here are some of the symptoms I've been having:
I've been having sleeping troubles; going to bed early, but not waking up until late or having kind of a hard time falling asleep.
I've had a pretty major loss in appetite, to the point where I only really eat onesmall meala day and sometimes a few light snacks.
Things that Ipreviously enjoyed doing (going out with friends, being with family, writing, listening to music, etc.) have become tedious and no longer very enjoyable.
I've had no interest in talking to very many people; causing me to losea lot of stability in relationships with friends and family.
There have been a lot of times where I've started crying for no reason; I haven't had anything to trigger crying, it just happened out of no where. When it does happen it usually lasts for awhile.
Sometimes I shake for no reason. It will usually stop after about 10-15 minutes, but sometimes it lasts longer.
Sometimes it's hard for me to focus on anything; especially schoolwork.
I have a reoccurringfeelings of sadness, hopeless and/orhelpless. There have even been a fewtimes where I've felt completely numb/empty. These feelings usually lastsignificantly long periods of time.
ThoughI havenever planned or attemptedkilling myself, I have thought about what it would be like if I was no longer around. And I have spent some time thinking about death; not always my own, just the topicin general.
I've beenextremely irritable; even really small things will turn into bad arguments with people.
Not all the time, but sometime's it's really hard to control bad thoughts about myself.
Some days I have to force myself out of bed, because I either don't see the point in getting up, or I just have no energy.
I don't know for sure if this means I have depression or not, because I've never known anyone who hashad it, so I don't really have a reference point.I would really appreciate anyone who could give me some advice on what they think I'm experiencingand what I should do. Thank you...
Hi, sweetie. Based on these symptoms, I would say it's very likely you do have depression. The only way you can know for sure though is to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist which I would urge you to see either way. I, myself, struggle with depression and is very hard. It's a constant struggle, but there are ways to make it easier. Going to a psychiatrist would be my first suggestion because therapy and (sometimes) medication can do wonders, but I understand that can be scary or sometimes even impossible. So some other things that I have found can be helpful are: doing things that incorporate your senses (nice smelling candles, warm cozy pjs, nice bubble baths, etc), talking to a friend about what's bothering you, taking a nap, distracting yourself (drawing, reading, watching a movie, etc), or even just having a good cry. I hope I helped at least a little. Stay strong, love.