Posted: 12/23/2009 4:00:36 PM EDT
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What are symptoms of depression? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following: * difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions * fatigue and decreased energy * feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness * feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism * insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping * irritability, restlessness * loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex * overeating or appetite loss * persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment * persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings * thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts I have what is in red. Am I depressed or am I normal. I have NEVER thought about suicide but suicide and mental disorders seem to run in my family, but I personally think that was brought on by drinking and illegal drugs. I am generally not unhappy and satisfied with my life but there are aspects of it I don't care for much and am working to rectify them but progress is slow. The last thing I want is to bring this up to a doctor and have to worry about having my 2A rights taken away. 
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Lifting heavy weights (squats, deadlifts, presses) will help.
Also, try cleaning up your diet. Avoid processed foods and try to eat organic stuff. Basically, just shop the perimeter of your grocery store (milk, meat, fruits, and veggies). Cut out beer and soft drinks, and drink purified or well water (tap water has nasty stuff in it). |
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Have you looked at the symptoms of ADD? I know that everyone says they have it, but it is a real thing. It's a chemical thing in the brain just like depression, is genetic, and the defect is closely related to depression. They share many of the same symptoms, several of which you mentioned. I have no idea if you have it or not, but it might be worth looking into. |
Hi, my name is Raoc, and I am depressed. 
ARFCOM: Hi, Raoc I occasionally listen to Michael Savage on the radio, and though he's generally a total nutcase, one time he said something that really hit me. He said that he was feeling depressed, and started talking about how depression is a normal human emotion like anger, fear, sadness, happiness, etc... The drug companies have turned depression into a disease, and if it goes on long enough, it can be like a disease, but it is almost always a symptom of other problems and accumulated stresses. If it makes you feel better, I'm 26, and I can check off almost everything on that list.  Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself, knowing that five or ten years from now you'll look back and think how dumb you were for being so worried or stressed out, and wish you had spent your time enjoying your younger years more.
As always, YMMV. Merry Christmas! 
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This can be hard to self-diagnose. Those around you are the best indicators: if they ask you if everything's o.k, call to check on you more frequently, and so on you might really dig deep and look at yourself more closely.
Like someone has already said, you'll know it when you are truly "depressed". Knowing that someone or something should make you happy, but doesn't, no matter how hard you try, is a big indicator. You will find yourself being miserable, and comfortable with that misery. |
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Quoted:
What are symptoms of depression? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following: * difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions * fatigue and decreased energy * feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness * feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism * insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping * irritability, restlessness * loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex * overeating or appetite loss * persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment * persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings * thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts I have what is in red. Am I depressed or am I normal. I have NEVER thought about suicide but suicide and mental disorders seem to run in my family, but I personally think that was brought on by drinking and illegal drugs. I am generally not unhappy and satisfied with my life but there are aspects of it I don't care for much and am working to rectify them but progress is slow. The last thing I want is to bring this up to a doctor and have to worry about having my 2A rights taken away. I have them all. You're okay...
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Quoted:
Lifting heavy weights (squats, deadlifts, presses) will help. Also, try cleaning up your diet. Avoid processed foods and try to eat organic stuff. Basically, just shop the perimeter of your grocery store (milk, meat, fruits, and veggies). Cut out beer and soft drinks, and drink purified or well water (tap water has nasty stuff in it). This is truth. Try it for 2 weeks and get back to us. You will feel reborn. Trust me. 
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Having symptoms associated with depression doesn't mean you have depression. Are there reasons for the symptoms? Have the symptoms become an overwhelming issue in your life? I was first diagnosed with classic depression when I was 16, but have never really been treated for it.
Depression is an irrational thing, responding in a a negative way to bad breaks in life isn't depression, that is a natural reaction to bad things, losing a job, spouse, loved one, or even prized possession can and will give anybody the blues, that doesn't mean that you now magically have depression. If it is something you "get over" it isn't depression, at least not classical depression. I have found methods of controlling it, and really don't have any problems with it any more, but I realize that it is just a matter of time before I end up down again, it is a question of when not if it will happen, that is the difference between depression, and a perfectly normal reaction to negative issues in your life. The last time I had a serious bout, was about ten years ago, I had just taken a new job, a great job with great pay, great benefits, a great boss, and awesome coworkers. I traded in the ancient beat up Volvo on a shiny new luxury car, the wife was pregnant with our second child (we chose to have this one, and had even planned to have her). At that point in my life everything was coming up aces for once, yet I spent six months in a funk, barely able to communicate with anybody outside of work, I felt useless, worthless, and overwhelmed, when I should have been thrilled with life in general. That is what depression is. |
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Quoted:
Having symptoms associated with depression doesn't mean you have depression. Are there reasons for the symptoms? Have the symptoms become an overwhelming issue in your life? I was first diagnosed with classic depression when I was 16, but have never really been treated for it. Depression is an irrational thing, responding in a a negative way to bad breaks in life isn't depression, that is a natural reaction to bad things, losing a job, spouse, loved one, or even prized possession can and will give anybody the blues, that doesn't mean that you now magically have depression. If it is something you "get over" it isn't depression, at least not classical depression. I have found methods of controlling it, and really don't have any problems with it any more, but I realize that it is just a matter of time before I end up down again, it is a question of when not if it will happen, that is the difference between depression, and a perfectly normal reaction to negative issues in your life. The last time I had a serious bout, was about ten years ago, I had just taken a new job, a great job with great pay, great benefits, a great boss, and awesome coworkers. I traded in the ancient beat up Volvo on a shiny new luxury car, the wife was pregnant with our second child (we chose to have this one, and had even planned to have her). At that point in my life everything was coming up aces for once, yet I spent six months in a funk, barely able to communicate with anybody outside of work, I felt useless, worthless, and overwhelmed, when I should have been thrilled with life in general. That is what depression is. Holy crap, that sounds way too familiar dude. All except for the baby thing but I would like to work on that. Everything is going good but I just feel a bit off. |
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That sounds like the average rabid waterfowl hunter. 1) Get up too early 2) Obsesse about things (killing waterfowl) 3) Fatigue and decreased energy everywhere but the duck blind 4) Feelings of pessimism when open water ices up before the end of the season  5) Irritability - especially when missing an easy straight in floater 6) Loss of interest in things, including sex - who the hell cares about sex when the migration is on?  7) Persistant aches and pains - well duh. You beat the crap out of yourself for a 12oz duck and you'll hurt too. 8) Etc.... This is entirely normal. Have a stiff single malt and get to bed. First shooting light comes all too soon. |
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Quoted:
What are symptoms of depression? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following: * difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions : Old Age * fatigue and decreased energy : Old Age * feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness : Old Age * feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism : Old Age * insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping : Old Age * irritability, restlessness : Old Age * loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex : Old Age * overeating or appetite loss : Old Age * persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment : Old Age * persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings : Old Age * thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts : Nuts I have what is in red. Am I depressed or am I normal. I have NEVER thought about suicide but suicide and mental disorders seem to run in my family, but I personally think that was brought on by drinking and illegal drugs. I am generally not unhappy and satisfied with my life but there are aspects of it I don't care for much and am working to rectify them but progress is slow. The last thing I want is to bring this up to a doctor and have to worry about having my 2A rights taken away. I don't have depression, I got a bad case of Old Age. 
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