How do u know if ur depressed?
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Depression is a serious medical condition. Everyone experiences "ups" and "downs" in their life. But for some people the "downs" can outweigh the "ups." This can cause problems with everyday activities such as eating, sleeping, working, and getting along with friends. If this happens for more than a few weeks, depression may be the reason.
Symptoms:
* Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
* Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
* Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
* Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
* Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
* Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
* Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
* Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
* Restlessness, irritability
* Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
Depression can be caused by physical imbalances in the brain. Recent research points to a calcium deficiency so it's a good idea to stay away from carbonated soft drinks that leach calcium from the body.
I hope this helps.
Some symptoms include: a sense of worthlessness or hoplessness, feeling lonely, weight loss or gain without reason, changes in sleeping pattern, withdrawl from social situations, etc. Depression is a serious issue. If you think you may have it, you can't treat it on your own. You don't necessarily have to see a doctor, but talk to someone you trust.
Meg did a good job, but I would like to add a bit to that. As a human, you will have good, and bad days, highs and lows, and depression exists in people in a million different forms. Simple little things like noticing you've been in your mind a bit too long, or you begin questioning life, and your existance, these are normal brain activity, but all too often, they are treated as depression, so just be careful what you are willing to call depression, or just chock up as just a crummy day or week. Good luck with it, and be good...or good at it.
Usually, you have one or more of the following:
*
Exhaustion on waking
* Disrupted sleep, sometimes through upsetting dreams
* Early morning waking and difficulty getting back to sleep
* Doing less of what they used to enjoy
* Difficulty concentrating during the day
* Improved energy as the day goes on
* Anxious worrying and intrusive upsetting thoughts
* Becoming emotional or upset for no particular reason
* Shortness of temper, or irritability
Not all people have all of these, and some have different signs, but if you are depressed, at least some of these will probably ring true with you.
A person can be diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression if:
(A) Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
(1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
(2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others)
(3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
(4) insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
(5) psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
(6) fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
(7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
(8) diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others)
(9) recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
(B) The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode.
(C) The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
(D) The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).
(E) The symptoms are not better accounted for by Bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psychomotor retardation.
i hope this is of help,but should someone you no needs help it might be the case to speak to a doctor
When you're down and feeling lonely. You might feel this for example when you're broken hearted or when you lose something. You can treat this some kind of emotion by listening to mellow music.
I believe as long as you aren't to a point of feeling suicidal or homicidal, you can try and deal with it on your own. It is advisable that you at least go to one dr to at least get a diagnosis.. maybe you aren't even depressed. Or maybe you're so far into it that going to the dr just that once may save your life.
But.. to deal with it on your own, my suggestions, would be.. think about some of the things that make you feel the worst.. like for myself.. I felt like I was a lazy, worthless, dumb.. and what made me start to come out of it, was going out and forcing myself to do things. Like at least calling a counselor for an initial appt. Or I'd make myself not feel quite so lazy. Like, I wouldn't answer my phone.. I started making myself.. I rarely went anywhere besides maybe the grocery store.. so when I was invited out to lunch or something I went. I also started just doing little things, like showering even when I didn't feel like it(which from what I hear is a huge issue for a lot of people who are depressed.. it wasn't just me). or maybe organizing some things I'd been procrastinating on. What else? Well.. anything that USED to make me feel good.. since nothing seemed to do so anymore. I had lost interest in practically everything that used to interest me. So I started reading again.. even when I could barely concentrate.
There are so many more little things.. but I guess my main point is, all the little things.. those things that seem like they don't really matter.. well they can add up to be extremely unbearable.. likewise.. its also the little things that added up to my feeling a LOT better. If you have any more questions on this, please feel free to email me. I could seriously go on for another hour about the subject... so if you need to talk, or anything. Go ahead and write anytime!
~Wendy
St John's Wart medicine. I know its a stupid name, but it works and its over the counter- you can buy it through just about any store like Walmart or Walgreens.
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