Just joined 7 cups of tea

One of the worst parts of depression is how it's really good at convincing you that it doesn't even exist. I can't count the number of times that I've heard somebody say (or thought it myself!), "Oh I'm not depressed, I'm just a little sad, I'm just making it up."

Everyone experiences depression a little differently, so there's no Correct way to be depressed. Those in the psychiatric community use what's called the DSM to diagnose different mental illnesses; it's a big book with what the "official" criteria are for a doctor to say you definitely have a certain condition. It's by no means the end all be all, and they update the book all the time! But this is the current list for depression in the DSM-5 (I've paraphrased them a bit to make them easier to understand!). Keep in mind that you don't have to hit every point, either; most people don't.

1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
2. Having little interest in doing things, even things that you normally like to do (like your hobbies)
3. Some people lose their appetite, others find themselves overeating. This tends to lead to weight loss/gain, even though you're not dieting
4. Your motor skills and the way you think are suddenly off. Maybe it takes you longer than usual to get ready in the morning, or to find the words you're looking for
5. Feeling tired and worn down
6. Feeling worthless, having low self esteem, or feeling guilty even when there's no reason to be
7. Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
8. Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation (a fancy way of saying you think about what it'd be like to commit suicide, but you don't make any move to act on it), self harm, or attempting suicide

Typically if you've been feeling these types of things for a couple of weeks or more, you might have depression! We all have rough times in our lives and can feel depressed once in a while, but it's when those feelings stay for a long time that there might be a deeper issue.

Remember though that I'm no expert, just some dude on the internet who can only speak from their own experience. A doctor you feel comfortable with is the best person to go to about getting a formal diagnosis! And from there, they can speak to you about different ways you can go about managing your depression - some people use medication, others use therapy, still others use a combination of both.

Depression can be a scary thing, especially when it's something new you're learning about yourself. Take things one step at a time, and remember that there's always someone out there to talk to if you need to. Hang in there, friend!

@Steddie First: welcome. We here can't really say if you're depressed or not because we don't know you and it can be dangerous to try to diagnose via the internet and all. If you feel you are then that's totally understandable and that's how you feel. But it may be better to seek professional help if you think this warrants more attention.