If you are wondering when to see a doctor about depression, consider, first, that feeling down in the dumps is part of being alive. One day you're grumpy and out of sorts, spirits low; next day you're back in the groove, ready to dive into the things you love. But when, for two weeks or more, you feel like sitting out the rest of your life, you may be clinically depressed. Depression is a medical condition that requires treatment – and can be helped – by a doctor. Experts suggest seeking help if you have any of these symptoms of depression:
- Your low spirits persist for two weeks or more.
- Your depression is interfering with your relationships and your job.
- You have thoughts of harming yourself.
- You have persistent physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain not associated with arthritis that do not respond to routine treatment.
- Your symptoms include any five of the following: sleeplessness or oversleeping; loss of appetite or overeating; frequent tears and feelings of sadness; inability to concentrate; little appetite for things you usually enjoy; fatigue; irritability, restlessness or moving about in slow motion; a feeling of worthlessness or pervasive guilt.
The above are typical symptoms of major depression. Less than half of the 10 to 40 percent of people with depressive symptoms have major depression. Other classifications of depression include:
Dysthymia. A less severe form of depression that includes long-lasting symptoms that do not seriously disable a person but keep one in a constant state of feeling down. Symptoms may include all of the above with the additional feeling of hopelessness.
Bipolar disorder. Also called manic-depressive disorder, it is characterized by extreme highs and lows in mood. The disorder affects thinking, judgment and social behavior. Symptoms include the above as well as racing thoughts, increased talking, unusual irritability and abnormal elation.
A few of my friends have had suicidal thoughts and their emotions have started to rub onto me. I've tried staying positive for a little under half the year, but I gave up. I soon saw what they saw. And it seems right. Most of the time I feel worthless and not good enough for anyone. Every night I find at least 5 reasons to hate myself and why I am not good enough. I cry of a minimum once a week.
I don't even know what to do anymore. I'm confused about the simplest of things and I haven't been eating as much and it's always small amounts of food that don't contain any fat. I've starved myself for weeks on end before, that was when my friends were concerned about me.
My best friend turned on me and now everyone only cares about her. She makes my life miserable without even knowing it, or perhaps that's her purpose. But I hate her now and she doesn't realise.
I'm just not up for living life..
I am an experienced doctor of psychology and I am developing a program to help people who have chronic depression. I wish to help such people to find renewed meaning and purpose in their lives. As part of my research for this program I would like to interview people who have had chronic depression for some time. This will be a telephone interview lasting between 10 and 15 minutes. If you are willing to be interviewed, I will reward you for your assistance by giving you one of my free modules in a spreadsheet, called "ITTEM" ( identify and track thoughts emotions and moods). if you fill in the information over a 30 day period and send it back to me, I will give you a full analysis with my suggestions as to what might help you.
Nikki
I am sleeping approx 20-24 hours at a time. I just cannot get up from bed.The pain for the RA is okay and I am on cymbalta 0mg, wellbutrin, and ambilify. Depression like this anyone? Any other ideas? I have everything to be happy for a great husband but I have lost my life as I knew it.
Carolspigot
Hi my names jodey im 19 years of age, im not sure if i have depression but ive been feeling, low, empty, lost, lonely and worthless for 8 months to a year now. I used to self harm and still do, tryed taking my own life once in the past year but my mom caught me, from then on she started worrying about me all the time. Im a person who doesnt like to ask or talk about my feelins. But it's getting to a stage now where i think i need help, i ended my realtionship with my boyfriend because i felt that there was just nothing to it anymore. Im only getting two hours of sleep a night and my diets chagned massivley, Ill have days where ill just sit in the same room all day thinking to meyself, crying and feeling fustrated for no reason. I wont to go to the doctors but i dont know if im right too. I dont wont to tell my family becuase they have engough on there plate as it is. Can someone please tell me if i should go or not?
I've thought about some of the options but I don't want to go to the school because they'll probrably make me see the schools conceleur or tell my mum and dad and I dont want to tell my mum or dad because I dont know how they'll react and I can't go to the dctors because I don't know how to make an appointment and my mums friend works in the doctors and what if they ask why I did it and what am I supposed to say I dont know it was like I wasn't there! (not retorical) I dont even know how I feel half the time and it can change from what time it is like in the morning I'm just scared my mum and dad will see my arm and react badly but at school I'm ok not the brightest but ok and when I come back from school its like I'm dead again and about dinner time I'll just feel sick and tired and that no one cares because how can so much happen to me and no one notice how can I feel so much and nothing happen, and by the time I get to bed I'll just give in and say look I need help but I can't do anything about it because it's night and then by the morning I'll avoid everyone and try to convince myself that I'm going to be fine but deep down I know thats not true and that if I don't do something I cound be like this for years and it scares me to think I'll still be like this in year and that nothings going to get better because when it's like that it can only get worst.
from Hannah 13 years.
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