Depression question..........Please look?

Question

How long do have to be depressed to be diagnosed with depression? I'm 16 and have been depressed for about a week now.

Answer 1

Question you gotta ask yourself is..."did something in my life change recently that might have brought on this depression?" If the answer to this is yes, then you should give it a while and let things settle down cause It's definately temporary in that case. On the other hand, if there isn't anything that might have triggered this depression and you just started feeling like this all of a sudden, then I would visit a psychiatrist. First try taking natural supplements and vitamins like St. John's wort, Omega 3 fish oil, Ginko Biloba. Take all of these with breakfast in the morning. I promise you'll feel, at the very least, a noticeable amount of difference. Hang in there.

Answer 2

Did something happen to make you depressed? A fight with a friend, didn't get a grade or job that you wanted, death of a close one? If an event occurred it is okay to be down for a while as long as it isn't impacting your life functions for a lengthy time. Hormones can play a big part in your mood as well, you could be growing and going through some changes ( I know you are probably sick of hearing about that junk). Also, people have emotions and yucky days, and its normal to have good days and bad days.
To be diagnosed with depression a person usually has to be depressed for several months and it impacts their daily life in some significant way. The fact that you are even asking, shows that you definitely notice a difference in yourself and it would be beneficial to speak to someone (other than a friend) your parents would be the best but another close family member, teacher, mentor, etc. would be good also. They know you and your lifestyle, and could help you decide if some event has made you feel this way or if it is a more significant issue that may need professional intervention. You don't have to have a diagnosis to speak to a counselor, so if you would feel more comfortable talking to a professional right away then you could do that. I hope I've helped and I hope you feel better soon! :0)

Answer 3

I believe it's for six weeks or longer. That's because everyone gets stressed at one point or another but that stress usually alleviates itself within a week or two. I've had major bouts of depression and can tell you some of the symptoms if that will help. When I was going through it, nothing interested me. I love music and listen to my cd's on the daily but when I was depressed music didn't do anything for me. I was tired all the time and felt completely worthless and hopeless, like no one gave a damn about me. I felt like if I dropped dead at that minute no one would even care. I also slept through most of the day and had horrible insomnia at night. Does any of this sound familiar? Give it a another week or two and see if things improve. If they don't then talk to your parents about seeing a doctor. Although anti-depressants completely alleviated my depression they aren't meant to be used for anyone under 18 because the brain is still developing. There are however other ways to deal with it if it is indeed depression. Hopefully you're just stressed though. Good luck!

Answer 4

It depends on your situation. If you feel depressed over the break up of a boyfriend/girlfriend, money or your job it will pass. But it you feel depressed all the time for absolutely no reason at all and feel like you just want to sleep all of the time, then you have a serious problem and should seek medical advice and treatment. Depression is a very serious disease.

My sister suffers from depression and sometimes her moods are up and down. She was diagnosed at 12 years old when she had terrible mood swings and kept saying she was hearing voices and now she is 35. It definitely affects those around her.

I would advise you to talk to someone. Good luck.

Answer 5

i don't think a week sounds long enough for you to be diagnosed with depression. it would probably have to be about a month for the doctor to start taking it seriously and be able to give you any help, otherwise he/she might just tell you to see how you feel and come back in a few weeks. if you have only felt like this for a week, it could just be a mood that will pass. try this http://health.yahoo.com/topic/depression it won't diagnose you but it can help you see if you might be depressed. (scroll down the page it's at the bottom)

Answer 6

Yeah, one week is pretty normal. Also depends on the event. Like if someone close to you died you would likely be depressed for longer than that. Depression can be a normal part of a mourning process, mourning the loss of anything like a friendship, some object you were attatched to, getting older.
Depression is only a problem when it rules your life for a long period of time, like many months or years or if you are suicidal. Then you would consider treatment or medication.
Depression has gotten much press lately and is seen as bad too much of the time. It is healthy and necessary sometimes and EVERYONE gets depressed sometimes.

Answer 7

It really depends on what you're depressed about. If there's specific things bugging you or if there is no reason whatsoever. Generally speaking I would wait a month. Otherwise it's really just the blues which everyone gets. I'm bi-polar and it took forever to be diagnosed because at first they thought it was clinical depression. I'm not saying you don't have it, but I would wait a bit longer. And don't jump to the conclusion that you're clinically depressed. Trust me, you don't want to be like me and have to depend on medication for the rest of your life.

Answer 8

a week is certainly not long enough for a diagnosis.
perhaps you are simply not at the top of your game.
serious depression has definitive characteristics to it to allow it to be diagnosed.
some of these could be,
losing interest in your hobbies or interests,
poor appetite, when not traditional to you.
not taking care of yourself-more important than you may think
not hanging out with your friends, alcohol and drug abuse,
wanting to be alone all the time.
these are just a few, there are many others.
before you classify yourself as depressed, try to get into something new- a hobbay, some new friends, set some goals in areas that you think could stand improvement.
give these a shot- they will help you stay happy.
joe

Answer 9

I felt down for a few weeks and went to my doctor. I was diagnosed with depression. My doctor said more and more people are coming in for depression.

Answer 10

Are you depressed or just sad? I list some symptoms of depression. If you find yourself in this category then call your doctor, otherwise just being sad for some particular reason for a short period of time like a week does not count as depression:

Sadness throughout the day, nearly every day
Loss of interest in or enjoyment of your favorite activities
Feeling of worthlessness
Excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt
Thoughts of death or suicide
Fatigue or lack of energy
Sleeping too much or too little
Change in appetite or weight
Trouble concentrating
Restlessness