Feeling ashamed over "self diagnosis"
So I'm unsure about how to explain everything..
I'm in a very lonely situation and have so many days were I can't find inspiration in any activity or thing. A lot of times at night when I'm trying to sleep I get a lot of negative thoughts into my head and end up crying for hours in fetus position. I've talked to some listeners that have told me it sounds like I'm depressed.
But I feel ashamed of even thinking that, just without a doctor's diagnosis etc. But I am unable to get any mental health care so it's not possible for me to even get a diagnosis.
Sorry if this is confusing. But is it okay to "self diagnose"? I don't really know how viewing my mental state as depression would help or anything.. like I said not able to get anti depressants or similar anyway.
@Hyeonsil It sounds like you may have some depression, but putting yourself immediately on anti depressant medication is really not going to solve the problem. I don't support that at all. That's why I refuse to see a psychiatrist. I know I have anxiety problems, but all the doctor will do is prescribe me some happy drugs. Find something that makes you relax and content, such as reading or listening to music or watching some program on TV. Make a certain time every day to do this and after awhile it will help you. I get home from work around 7 and every Monday and Thursday I make sure to watch wrestling while I make dinner. Other days I will just try to go to sleep earlier. Work is a very stressful thing that can cause anyone depression and anxiety, especially if you get no vacation. Going for a walk or getting a manicure/pedicure or massage helps also. Just taking time for yourself.
@Hyeonsil
I'm sorry to hear that you have been feeling the way that you do. I can understand why you would be conflicted on this subject, since I myself have actually been feeling very similiar, and have been stumped on what to feel too.
There is no need to feel ashamed of self-diagnosing, though! It's better to be safe than sorry in this sort of case, and will not hurt you to try to take care of yourself as though you might have depression. I've heard that exercising and eating healthier can help you feel a bit better when you're down, but another really good thing to do is to pamper yourself in whatever way you want to. Whether it be reading, watching videos/movies, taking an extra long bath, or even allowing yourself to realize that you're not feeling so hot and that something is bothering you!
It's in this way that self-diagnosing could be useful to you for knowing that you aren't the only one and that you aren't alone in the battle against negative thoughts. I hope this helps somewhat, please take care! If you ever want to talk, I'm always open. :)
@Hyeonsil
Having a name for what you deal with can usually be reassuring, so in that sense I can understand why you would want a diagnosis, official or not.
Self-diagnosis is one thing, but it can lead to trying to self-medicate and self-treat, those being two dangerous things that could possibly aggravate any underlying conditions. Since you say you have no way to access medications, self-medication isn't possible in your case. Self-diagnosis in itself is viewed as "bad" because of these things. Another danger is underlying conditions. Depression can be its own condition or a side-effect from medication or from another disorder, such as hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, fluctuations in blood sugar causing symptoms similar to depression on a daily basis, etc. That's why it's so important to get these things checked out. It may be a physical abnormality causing a psychological effect similar to depression that can be fixed quite easily.
In short, self-diagnosis may do more harm than good. I can't tell you what to do, but perhaps keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to do so.