How do you know that it really is depression?

Question

I have a friend who says that they are depressed, and that they take medication for it. Does that mean that they are really depressed? Could it be something else less drastic?

Answer 1

First If I were you I would educate myself on depression. Depression is a real mental health issue. It is now considered a medical issue. If they are taking medication for it the doctor they saw had to medically diagnoise them with certain tests. They truely are depressed. There are many different severeitys of depression. However if you don't take care of the less severe cases they become severe. The reprecutions could become really bad if ignored. Not everyone needs medication for depression. Some can handle counceling or counceling and a little medication. Find out for yourself and read a little bit about it. Then you will understand your friend better

Answer 2

First of all, if they say they feel depressed, that means they suffer from depression. Everyone gets depressed... at times- it's normal.

If it's become long term (chronic) with no apparent cause (death of a loved one, loss of job, home..) then it's clinical depression. If the medication is helping, it's apparently needed to adjust the brain chemistry.

Please, don't nag a person to stop medication that's helping. And realize that taking medication for an illness is not the end of the world. Would you question the advisability of her taking medication for blood pressure or diabetes?

If you feel it's not helping, then that's different. You can show concern, ask if she's also getting counseling or help her find a support group. That would be the thing a friend would do.

Answer 3

Depression is like a funk you can't seem to get out of. Some days you can feel totally normal and think, "I'm fine!" but then the next your back into that funk again. Sometimes for no reason, sometimes caused by life's difficulties. It all depends.

If you find yourself having intrusive thoughts, even suicidal thoughts, then you are highly likely to be suffering from depression. It's not easily done away with.. it's a disease/sickness.

Don't try and diagnose it yourself. See your doctor and have yourself (or whoever it may be) evaluated.

Answer 4

If they are being treated by a doctor with medication, chances are they are suffering with depression. This is a very real illness and as a friend you can help them by being there when you are needed. I also suffered from depression for years without treatment, but the meds did not work for me, behavioral modification therapy did. Depression doesn't have to rule your friends life, but it is important that you be kind and supportive, not judgmental.

Answer 5

Pills never work for depression.
Iguess you're an Indian
so advice them to meditate a lot it alleviates your depression
yoga is excellent in such case
enroll her in some hobby classes or whatever she enjoys the most
Hopefully everything will clear out don't worry

Answer 6

only a doctor can diagnose depression. it is a really serious condition that needs to be treated. You should support your friend. Depression, if not treated can spiral out of control.

Answer 7

if they have seen a psychiatrist who has put them on medication , then they are clinically depressed. please offer your friend as much support as you can. this is a very hard and sometimes embarrassing thing to cope with. you will both fell better because of your effort.

Answer 8

Wickedness, injustice, grief, pessimism, trouble, loneliness, fear, stress, frustration, distrust, unscrupulousness, anxiety, rage, jealousy, resentment, drug addiction, immorality, gambling, prostitution, hunger, poverty, social corruption, theft, war, struggle, violence, oppression, fear of death… News about these issues appear in the newspapers and on TV every day. The popular press devotes entire pages to these subjects, while others serialise articles about their psychological and social aspects. However, our acquaintance with these feelings is not limited solely to the press; in daily life, we, too, frequently come across such problems and, more importantly, personally experience them.
People and societies endeavour to liberate themselves from the distressing experiences, disorder and repressive social structures that have prevailed over the world for long periods. We only need to glance at ancient Greece; the Great Roman Empire; Tsarist Russia, or the so-called Age of Enlightenment, and even the 20th century-a century of misery which saw two world wars and world-wide social disasters. No matter upon which century or location you concentrate your research, the picture will not be appreciably different.
If this is the case, why haven't people succeeded in solving these problems, or at least some efforts been made to remove such social diseases from society?
People have encountered these problems in all ages, yet each time they have failed to find any solutions because the methods they employed were inappropriate. They sought various solutions, tried different political systems, laid down impracticable and totalitarian rules, stirred up revolutions or subscribed to perverted ideologies, while many others preferred to adopt an indifferent attitude and merely accepted the status quo.
In our day, people are almost numbed by this way of living. They readily believe these problems to be "facts of life." They picture a society immune to these problems as being nothing short of impossible-a dream utopia. They persistently and openly express their distaste for such a way of living, yet easily embrace it, since they think they have no other alternative.
The resolution of all these problematic issues is possible only by living by the principles of the "true religion." Only when the values of true religion prevail can a pleasant and tranquil scene replace this gloomy and unfavourable picture, which is doomed to continue so long as God's limits are ignored. To put it another way, people are enslaved by these complications as long as they avoid the values of the Qur'an. Put simply, this is the "nightmare of disbelief" and the link below for this wonderful book:

http://harunyahya.net/popup/Download.php?WorkNumber=256&Format=pdf

you will find how the regulation of life by the "norms of morality" introduced by the Qur'an revealed to mankind by God will banish the "nightmare of disbelief," how pessimism, corruption and social restlessness can be eliminated from society, how the individual can surround himself with an ideal environment, what spiritual and material benefits he is likely to attain by adherence to these norms of morality are gone into in detail, and finally, that the unique alternative to all these problems is the morality of the Qur'an.
So far, many books have attempted to deal with the social and psychological problems societies face. Yet, what distinguishes this book from others is its stress on the most realistic solution. It also sincerely warns people against the troublesome future they are likely to face if they fail to resort to this solution.
We expect that every reader of conscience will grasp that peace, mutual trust and an ideal social life is attainable only by embracing the values of the Qur'an and will turn to the true religion, which is Islam.
They will then happily join the ranks of those who never suffer, mentally or physically, from any of the above-mentioned complications. Around them, there will always be an abundance of favours, comfort, love, respect, peace and confidence, and moral virtues will prevail. They will know how to earn God's approval, by observing His limits and the commandments of the Qur'an. They will thus, by having faith in God, attain His mercy and at last enter Paradise.

Useful link:

(A BRIEF ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING ISLAM)

http://www.islam-guide.com/islam-guide.pdf

My e-mail:
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Answer 9

u know when u cant be happy no matter what u try and whatever u do it gets worse

Answer 10

if they are on meds they have been checked out by a psychiatrist so do not interfere