The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
Anonymous
Right, I was having a conversation with my mate and something we were talking about gave rise to having a search about what depression is.

I looked at this site: http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/Depression_Information/signs.htm

Out of those symptoms I'd say 80% apply to me and has done for quite a while (4 months).

Can anyone offer any insight?

Noone can really offer anymore in sight than the website does.
Having 80% of the symptoms for a few months does seem like a sign of depression thoe, but only a doctor can tell you for sure.
Reply 2
I agree, whenever I'm feeling down I just go for a run and usually feel a lot better at the end of it :smile:
Reply 3
I exercise regularly, sometimes twice a day.
parag
I agree, whenever I'm feeling down I just go for a run and usually feel a lot better at the end of it :smile:

Yeah but there's a difference between depression and feeling a bit down. I know exercise (and chocolate etc) can help, but it seems to me that these things aren't really proper fixes. Go see a doctor (if you have one that will take you seriously - I'm bitter about mine!).

Hope you feel better. I know how you feel and it's just a generally rubbish way to live!
Reply 5
as soon as u start lookin at symptoms of stuff you start to think "oh, that applies to me"
Go look up symptoms of some other mental illness, you'll probably find lots of them apply to you too, its called bein a bit paranoid.
If you're depressed you'll know about it, you won't need to look symptoms up.
Not to sound harsh but if you genuinely think you're clinically depressed, get off the internet and see a medical health professional, pronto.
Reply 7
What, so they can pump me full of SSRI's and hope I get better by myself?

I was just wondering if anyone else here had experienced it before and what they did about it etc.
Everyone gets depressed now and then.
Depression can be conquered by establishing the cause and doing something about it. Go and see your doctor by all means, but he'll only dope you up with drugs and ignore the underlying psychological causes.

In my view Depression can best be beaten by stenuous exertion of the mind, talking about your problems, searching within yourself, adopting haelthier habits, seeking help from friends and family, singing, dancing, exercising...

Not with drugs.
Reply 10
I think its Uni, I hate my course, last term I went to about 20/200 lectures, didn't do any assignments. I've had 6 weeks to revise for exams and I've not done a thing.

Right now I feel as if I quit Uni it will have been like being "set free" or something, I just hate it. Thats the only thing I can think of thats causing it.
I felt the need to elaborate, because a lot of people get really defensive and start telling me how great drugs were for them...

Over my life I've coped with my mothers alcoholism, my dad having a heart attack, constant arguments at home, the premature death of my mother and the very premature death of my brother... and yeah... I got depressed...

BUT. It is perfectly possible to deal with all that life throws at you by all the methods described above.

I'd also say that without downs (sometimes big ones) life wouldn't be very interesting, would it?
hey, I was diagnosed clinical depression just a few days ago. The doctor gave me some anti-depressants as a short-term treatment and told me he could get me into some kind of counseling for the long term.

I am not taking the anti-depressants, I think its a little bit of an exaggeration as I am only 19 and from what I know (and believe me I really do know that) 1) once you get the anti-depressants and you get better the next time you feel bad you are going to want them to make you feel allright. and 2) Its all in your head, if you think that taking anti-depressants is going to work then you are going to feel better, if not, they are not going to help you at all. as I said, its all in your head.

just take your time, stay alone if you want to, try some chocolate, go out with friends and maybe discuss your problem with them if you feel like it. and try to make peace with yourself about that problem that is depressing you (if you know what I mean)
...I'm not going to shut up in this thread am I?

Another thing... Depression is a daily battle. It requires you to get out of bed (as early as possible) and ignite a fuse under your ass, so you actually achieve things during the day. It's all about creating positive spirals for yourself and setting yourself goals for achieving things.
~*Sar*~
as soon as u start lookin at symptoms of stuff you start to think "oh, that applies to me"
Go look up symptoms of some other mental illness, you'll probably find lots of them apply to you too, its called bein a bit paranoid.
If you're depressed you'll know about it, you won't need to look symptoms up.


I have to agree with the above. If you were clinically depressed you would have some idea about it before.
Other wise you could start looking at your life what makes you depressed? personally drinking too much all the time causes me depression when im sober. Or avoid ppl that annoy you. Take up a sport or past time that takes your mind off things.
Depression is a feeling, not an illness. Going to a doctor will only make things worse.
What?? Depression is an illness. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain (which can be triggered by a lot of sadness/shock/general heavy negative emotion, but just as often isn't). You seem to have read up on it - how can you not know that? [Edit: oops, is it a different person? :redface:] Sadness is a feeling, which often accompanies depression. I get both - not always at the same time (although I'm a lot better than I used to be lately, now it's intermittent and quite mild, woohoo) I've been depressed before without being sad at all.

I've been diagnosed as clinically depressed. My doctor told me to go and see a counsellor. I smiled at her, said ok, thanked her for the help, left, didn't go, then coincidentally moved house. :smile: Haven't spoken to her since. Don't need that crap, I only went in because I wasn't sleeping well, but then I never have... and I don't believe I was depressed when I was 10 or so. Also I agree with the poster above who said you don't need to look at depression symptoms to know you're depressed, in a slightly more liberal way - I think whatever afflictions you genuinely think you have, you have. Everyone has some afflictions. It's unavoidable, genetically and through upbringing. I hate it when people go "oh shut up, you're not depressed, look at you" - I dunno what they think it does or what evidence they base that on but it doesn't help at all. Or indeed "you're so intelligent / you have so many friends/so much money / you're normally so happy, I don't believe you're depressed, you have no right to be". What the hell do those people know? If you're depressed, be depressed without being ashamed. It's the only way to solve the problem.

As for tips - not just exercise but generally keeping busy. I don't like running because it gives you too much time to think and as soon as you hit something that triggers your depression again you just lose all motivation to go anywhere. I like doing things like work, tidying my room, just generally moving around somewhere cluttered (including school files :smile:) de-cluttering it. Also music - singing and moving in time to the music (I say this in a politically correct way since most people can't dance if they try :p: me included) is really meant to help and it does help me. Sleep helps a lot but beware of hypersomnia and insomnia. Errr... just generally don't think. :smile: Although saying this I do like walking, especially when I want to clear my head a bit (sadness rather than depression). But walk in busy areas so that you're kind of socially protected and if you for some reason start hyperventilating or pass out or something people are around to help. But of course you won't because with other people it's normally impossible not to be self-conscious in that state anyway... so you feel better, even if it's lying to yourself. :smile:
I was diagonosed as being clinically depressed at 13.
Now, i was given drugs, dont think i started a packet, mainly due to an underlying mistrust of doctors and any drugs.
My parents arranged for me to see a shrink, which I have to admit, did work. If you are seriously depressed, you need to find whatever reason you have for it(and it may not seem like a huge deal to others, and what others think doesnt matter)and you have to find a way to cope. I guess you need to find a reason to fight. At 12, a man who I should have trusted(as a youth leader) attempted to rape me, now that was my cause. I guess i knew it w/o seeing the shrink but she helped me to see it.

Its been 5 years since i was diagnosed, and it would be a lie to say i wake up everyday and am fine. Im not, alot of days are still a struggle. My reason to fight comes from my family, a friend and my boyfriend. They make me see life was worth living. They make me feel that even if my day isnt brilliant, theres always tomorrow.

There are many ways to make yourself feel more +ve. Exercising, happy films, hugs and chocolate have all been mentioned. Another way, and this is really difficult, Is refocussing your views from all the -ve things in your life to the+ve. Now it took me years to master not focusing on only the -ve, and every does look and see -ve to a certain extent, but you gotta see the +ve you do too.

I'm 18 now. at 14 i tried to take my own life, im so glad i didnt, but there are still alot of daily battles that must be fought and won every day.

I recomend going to see you GP as diagnosing yourself on a website isnt a sure thing. As some one else mentioned ^^^ you can go to any mental illness site, and you'll find symtoms you can apply to yourself there. No one here can tell you how you feel, or how to deal with stuff or anything(no offence ment there) you need to take control, You need to say I want to get better. You need to get help, as in the profesional kind. See a shrink (but try your GP first, he might tell you one, and you may get it thru the NHS).
Reply 18
gideon2000uk
I felt the need to elaborate, because a lot of people get really defensive and start telling me how great drugs were for them...

Over my life I've coped with my mothers alcoholism, my dad having a heart attack, constant arguments at home, the premature death of my mother and the very premature death of my brother... and yeah... I got depressed...

BUT. It is perfectly possible to deal with all that life throws at you by all the methods described above.

I'd also say that without downs (sometimes big ones) life wouldn't be very interesting, would it?

Indeed. I think your comments on drug usage are both relevant and practical. I was put on fluoxetine hydrochloride to help with my insomnia and something else to keep my anxiety in check. But ultimately they were only tools that would wear off. I think you have to be careful not to rely on drugs when tackling depression. They can help but reliance, as with anything, can be a bad thing. I think sometimes there are GPs who will hand out drugs without so much as mentioning other treatments and ways for the individual to improve their life.
Reply 19
One of the problems about searching online for a self diagnosis is that you tick off the options listed there as your symptoms, and then you start to BELIEVE you are actually a sufferer (since you've read all the symptoms beforehand)

Now I'm not saying that you are not suffering depression but only your doctor or a counseller can tell you that for sure.