Am I depressed?

[Anonymous]

My husband thinks I am depressed, but he has been such a jerk lately that I don't know if I can believe him or not. I have scheduled an appointment with a doctor, but I am worried that the doctor is simply going to give me the choice to take medication or not and leave it up to me. Is there any formal way to diagnose depression? I don't sit around crying all day. However, I do feel angry often and I do feel like there is not a lot in my life to look forward to. We have had some awful things happen in our extended family this year so things have been difficult emotionally for me. I SAH with my 4yo DD and I do make an effort to get out of the house almost every day (although I admit that most days I would like to sit around in my pajamas doing nothing). I work out every morning with a friend before DH and DD wake up. I don't really like the idea of taking medication. Am I depressed, or is my life just normal in a slightly depressing way? I would appreciate hearing other people's experiences with depression.

[Anonymous]

You sound depressed to me. I would make an appointment with both a therapist and maybe a psychiatrist. The therapist can help you cope with talk. And if you decide you want to use meds to help, the psychiatrist can help you get the best benefits from the meds and adjust accordingly. I started with a therapist and about 6 months into it I decided I would stop be so against meds and see if they could help. Both helped.

[Anonymous]

could it be SAD (seasonal depression)....? you do sound a bit low...depression can be signified with irritation or anger (instead of sadness)....working out is great....I would try to get outdoors too as well as an appt. with a therapist
best of all to you

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you could use a bit of help with meds, even if temporary while you seek therapy. Meds for depression can literally be a life-saver.

depression can shorten your life-span, so take meds for God's sake! You can get off of them once you work thru your issues.

[Anonymous]

Being sad with your life is different than being depressed.

Depression is being WAY over diagnosed IMHO. I'd say you're bored.

Does DD go to school? Do you do the housework or you outsource it? How much "me" time do you have?

The lack of drive and energy can be hormonal as well nutritional. Anemia, hypothyroidism and other health issues can cause depression like symptoms. Exercise alone won't give you the energy bust you need if your whole system is not in balance.

Have yourself checked out at various docs before going straight to what the trendy docs are saying.

[Anonymous]

It sounds to me like you're probably dsythymic. You might try taking this depression inventory:

http://www.suicideforum.com/bdc/index.html

Also, keep in mind that different people experience depression in different ways. Some people (often men but can be women as well) get more angry than sad.

Whether or not depression is "overdiagnosed" is irrelevant to your particular situation. Depression is a serious illness and writing it off as a "trendy" diagnosis does nothing but perpetuate stigmas that continue to prevent people who need help from seeking treatment.

And I agree that medication isn't the only way to treat depression or dysthymia, but I wouldn't write it off. Again, I think there's a stigma around anti-depressants that has made people less willing to try a treatment that could significantly improve their lives. It's really unfortunate. Try to keep an open mind.