Is this depression?

Question

I'm asking this on here because I don't want to talk to anyone until I'm sure. I'm usually really happy or hyper, but lately I've been feeling really sad and haven't wanted to do anything. I've been thinking about death a lot, and it's kind of scaring me. I have no control over my moods any more. I'm constantly upset for no reason, and I've been getting angry a lot more easily than usual. Does this sound like depression or am I just making a mountain out of a molehill? And no, I don't have many problems at home, with my boyfriend, or with my friends. I don't know why I feel like this, but it's freaking me out.

I'm 14 years old...Is there any way to help depression without talking to my parents or a doctor? My parents and I don't communicate much...

Answer 1

The combination of the happy and hyper along with the sadness sounds more like bipolar to me, but it depends on the time between episodes of being happy and sad, but there are more follow-up questions. If you are normally real happy and active, and you have only recently felt sad, then its more likely depression, especially if you don't have a reason to be sad (like something bad recently happened to you or someone your close to). If you notice a pattern of happiness, followed by sadness, especially if the happiness includes manic or impulsive behavior that you might otherwise think of reckless behavior, like impulse buying, gambling, or sudden interests in things that quickly diminish to name a few. You should probably take a depression and a bipolar quiz to see how you score and depending on the results, see a professional. Don't be that freaked out. Its not that weird or uncommon, and its usually fixable.

Answer 2

Mood disorders can be caused by a chemical imbalance and don't have to be triggered by a life event. Since you are both hyper at times and then sad, you will most likely need medical help. Don't hesitate to get the help you need. You are not alone. Many people have problems with Depression and other mood disorders. You might benefit from a support group and the Dr. can point you in that direction. Start with your family Dr. if you don't know where else to go. Don't wait.

Answer 3

Yes, you've described several symptoms of depression. Don't hesitate to go see your primary physician or a psychiatrist--the sooner you get treated, the better, just like with all illnesses. Depression's very common--I've worked in a clinic, and that was probably the most common thing people came in for. Just tell your doc what you just talked about, and it will help if you can tell him/her how long it's been going on for. I've had depression too, so I know what it feels like--it can be scary!

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

Answer 4

What sucks about depression is that it's not necessarily due to some outside source. You can have a fine and dandy life and still be miserable. What you describe does sound like depression, especially since it's so different from how you usually are. Try therapy, and your therapist can help you decide whether you should see a psychiatrist, but it sounds like you should get some kind of help.

Answer 5

It does sound like you should talk with someone, maybe a trusted older friend, school counselor, or family doctor, etc., who can help guide you. A psychologist can do a screening and often there is somewhere you can go for free or a reduced cost in most areas. Psychologists work using talk therapy and other similar types of help. A psychiatrist is a medial doctor, by comparison, who would probably prescribe drugs for treatement. Also, there are places you can go online to self-diagnose, like www.depression.com and http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/screens/depres.html. Taking care of yourself is of utmost importance. You deserve to feel good, so don't delay reaching out for some help...especially if you're having thoughts of suicide or death. It doesn't make you weak to ask for help. It makes you smart! Best of luck to you.

Answer 6

Hi, I think it sounds like depression, yes.
As soon as you get some help, or at least talk about it with people you love, the better and the faster you'll be able to get out of that situation (or those feelings). Don't try to keep it just to yourself because that's when it can get worse. Also, don't think it's not normal, or that people will judge you or something, the better way to be back to your happy self is sharing that with those you trust.

Answer 7

I actual have been laid low with submit partum melancholy for the previous three hundred and sixty 5 days as quickly as I gave beginning to a infant boy. i could not provide up thinking approximately how my husband loves him extra desirable than me and how issues could be extra advantageous if he wasn't born in any respect. for that reason, I stayed remote from him because of fact I knew that i might do something i'm going to remorseful approximately for the the remainder of my existence. rather much right away I went to a therapist and persuade them that i choose help. between different issues, i've got tried organic supplementations and different e book to handle melancholy yet not something works like the melancholy loose approach. So now i'm proud to declare i'm between the happiest mom interior the international. My husband loves us the two very lots and that i thank the Lord for the blessing he gave us. melancholy loose approach?

Answer 8

Those do sound like symptoms of depression. The question is, how long have you been experiencing them? You say lately. Do you mean in the past week? Two weeks? Month? Several months?

According to the DSM-IV-TR criteria for diagnosing a major depressive disorder one of the following two elements must be present for a period of at least two weeks:

Depressed mood, or
Anhedonia (Inability to experience pleasure)

It is sufficient to have either of these symptoms in conjunction with five of a list of other symptoms over a two-week period. These include:

Feelings of overwhelming sadness and/or fear, or the seeming inability to feel emotion (emptiness).
A decrease in the amount of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, daily activities.
Changing appetite and marked weight gain or loss.
Thoughts of killing yourself.
Disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia, loss of REM sleep, or excessive sleep (Hypersomnia).
Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day.
Fatigue, mental or physical, also loss of energy.
Intense feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, isolation/loneliness and/or anxiety.
Trouble concentrating, keeping focus or making decisions or a generalized slowing and obtunding of cognition, including memory.
Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), desire to just "lie down and die" or "stop breathing", recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Feeling and/or fear of being abandoned by those close to one.

I really understand where you are coming from. I use to be so emotional; even the littlest things could set me off into a rage or tears. I wanted to be happy, but I just couldn't control how upset and sad I got, and I really couldn't enjoy much of my life. Like you, I was afraid to tell anyone what I was going through. I figured it would get brushed off as teenage angst, although to me it felt deeper than that- why would being a teenager make me inable to be happy when i wanted to so bad?

Anyways, right after I graduated highschool I confided in a friend and told I thought I might be depressed, and I thought that I should look into antidepressants. She told me I was just being moody, it was phase, and I should get over it. Ouch, that stung pretty bad. Nothing like other people telling you how you feel, right? That had to be one of the worst feelings ever.

So, a few months later I ended up seeing a psychologist for different reasons. Right away she picked up that I was depressed based on a few things that I offhandedly told her. I see a doctor about it the week after, and walk out with a diagnosis and antidepressants. I was so glad to finally know that my sadness wasn't normal, and I wasn't going to be like that forever. Anyways, the antidepressants helped me a lot, but what felt even better was being validated in my assumptions.

When you get down to you, YOU know your own mind better than anybody else; friends, families, boyfriends, teachers, whatever. You know if something is wrong, if something doesn't feel right. Trust yourself, not others. Someone who hasn't experiences depression won't really understand it, and they might be quick to blow it off as a "phase." Ignore them, talk to a doctor or counselor or someone who knows what the heck they are talking about. Even if it turns out you don't have clinical depression, you still might learn some valuable coping skills.

Answer 9

You didn't say your age. Thats important. If you're in your early teens, then you're not alone. You need to talk to your mom, a school couselor, someone who genuinely cares for you. It could just be teenage hormones and may ease up, but it could be the beginnings of a depression. Anytime you think about death or hurting yourself of someone else, you need to have someone to talk to. Ask your mom if she ever felt the way you are when she was your age. That will open up the lines of communication with someone.

Answer 10

yes, it is
depression is very common now, many people have this problem,
it can be too many pressure, too many data and information, TV, emails, all pushing u,
maybe u get a new job and u do not know that u get pressure on it
Try to see a doctor and get his comment,
besides, some vitamin also can help on it

depression can be very bad , and someone will go to kill people