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How can I self-diagnose depression? I can't see a doctor

19 Answers
Last Updated: 08/03/2020 at 4:44pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Lindsay Scheinerman, MA, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

My work with clients is to help them recognize and build on their strengths to find solutions for the conflicts presented in their lives.

Top Rated Answers
AmyJulianna
July 29th, 2016 2:15pm
You can take online depression screening tests. You can't formally diagnose yourself without a doctor, but taking those tests will help you better understand what you're going through.
Anonymous
August 4th, 2016 6:40pm
Same thing. For y'all who keep saying that you should see a doctor, i understand your concern, but some ppl cant. for example, ive talked to my parents about this and they said no we're not seeing a doctor so yeah...
Anonymous
July 31st, 2016 1:28pm
Yes. You are right about not to self diagnose depression. What I can tell from my experience is that by self diagnosis you are not really helping yourself rather you start ignoring stuff and eventually that just adds to your depression. I understand that it might be difficult for you to see a doctor but i would still recommend you to see a doctor. If that's not at all an option please do share your concerns and worries with your family or friends. If you feel depressed and dont share with anyone, the feeling will grow inside and then it might really be difficult for you to balance yourself. I can tell you by experience that sharing with friends is really helpful even if they are not able to help you directly. When you have someone whom you constantly talk about how you feel, you feel relieved and connected rather than burdened and isolated. Isolation is the last thing you would want to do when you feel depressed. So Cheers. Go and talk to a friend or any members of your family. Tell them clearly what makes you feel depressed and I am sure you will feel the difference. Hope it helps. Take care and Be happy :D
AngelFace97
July 31st, 2016 7:19am
Illness or medical condition should never be self-diagnosed.Self diagnoses can often turn out to be untrue or inaccurate so it's much better to have this done by a medical or mental health professional.You could book an online doctors appointment or use the website DocReady to help prepare you.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2016 11:12am
You can anonymously do a self test on the internet which seems legit. But this only goes to the direction of what you might have. Only a doctor can diagnose clinical depression,
Anonymous
July 30th, 2016 10:22am
a doctor knows much more about that than a normal person, so you should go to a doctor because of your own good.
Calmwaters2246
August 3rd, 2020 4:44pm
This can be a very hard topic to deal with. I understand where you are coming from as I was struggling with what I thought was only depression for a number of years. I tried as you have asked to self diagnose because I was without health insurance and I wanted to be able to identify how I was feeling. What I would encourage you to do is to seek out free resources that can help you find low cost health care or telehealth that can allow you to see a doctor. I was actually struggling with undiagnosed ADHD as an adult and my depression was a symptom. I discovered with my therapist that it was a direct result of feeling so frustrated and overwhelmed with my life and my perceived failures and those years of self diagnosing only held me back from true help. Even if it is truly depression that you are struggling with, I urge to you find resources to get you pharmacological and counseling help, even here on 7 cups online therapy :) I hope finding these things will help you and empower you the way they did for me!
Anonymous
April 16th, 2018 12:04pm
If you're constantly feeling sad, or when you lose interest in doing the things you like, you could be experiencing symptoms of depression. You can use a tool like the Beck depression inventory
Anonymous
December 5th, 2017 12:25pm
Depression is classified as prolonged sadness, typically over a 2 week period, and this sadness affects your daily activities such as not wanting to eat, sleep, socialize, etc.
Anonymous
October 23rd, 2017 6:55pm
You really can't stealth diagnose yourself with anything. But depression is actually a common thing, they're actually easy ways to treat depression without medication. There are many different coping skills that you can learn to use. I suggest that you look up dialectical behavioral therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy those two different types of Therapies we don't really help concentrate on your issues and help improve them.
calmOcean40
July 17th, 2017 4:54am
You don't go out like you used too you stay in your room all day and sleep and you just lay there not feeling any emotions your friends and family recognize your not ok and you know it too you literally feel nothing you don't want to eat
Neversaynever613
July 11th, 2017 2:24pm
Take an online test. They aren't so accurate but they can tell you if you have. But still doctors are the best if you want to get help.
Anonymous
July 11th, 2017 2:05am
Unfortunately only trained medical professions are able to diagnose depression. I would highly recommend you see a professional about this prior to any treatment.
Anonymous
February 28th, 2017 1:25am
You can't or you won't? I try to be very literal especially since depression likes to play word games with us to make everything look dim. It's okay if you won't, just be honest with yourself. Honesty is the first step. You cannot expect to overcome or self-diagnose depression without honesty and patience. It is ill-advised to self-diagnose depression, because you are IN it and so your clarity is already skewed if that is the case. There are ways, such as taking the 7cups Free Emotional Wellness Test (https://7cups.com/free-emotional-wellness-test/) but these tools should be used as a stepping stone into taking your condition seriously, which may or may not including consulting with a doctor. Depression is managable without professional help, but is much harder to go at alone than with someone else. Other sources of support besides a doctor are a school therapist or counsellor, anonymous group therapy meetups in your area, online support like 7cups or 7cups therapy, and self-help books or self-help guides, like the 7cups Depression Support Guide (https://7cups.com/depression-help-online/) Good luck and be safe.
Tg119340
September 26th, 2016 6:34pm
I think self-diagnosing anything is not the best idea. I know we think we know everything there is to know about ourselves and many things in the world, yet we don't really. Let a professional tell you they were trained for an extensive period of time to provide accurate diagnoses. Now, I did take 100 test to see if I was suffering from depression or not (indeed I was), but I still saw a professional to confirm my diagnosis.
michaelp1976
August 4th, 2016 12:06pm
If it is a recurring thing that affects your daily life and you get feedback from others touching on it.
itsgwendyy
August 3rd, 2016 10:30am
I'm in trouble with the same reason. I want to be a psychologist to learn what's wrong with me. But you can do some real depression tests on the net. If it's really bad, you can realize it anyway.
superpoppy14
July 31st, 2016 8:30pm
There are plenty of ways you can work out whether you may have depression or not. You can take the 7 Cups wellness test to give you an idea of whether or not you're showing signs of depression, but try not to get bugged down with the idea of a diagnosis. The most important thing is getting help and advice.
beautiful5oul
July 29th, 2016 4:48pm
The internet can provide many up to date reliable online resources that you can read into regarding depression. There are online screening tests that may be available as well. Unfortunately you cannot obtain a formal diagnosis from a doctor at the moment, but that may be the most reliable answer.