Are you depressed?

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
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SW Scotland
Article in today's Daily Mail:

Doctors now have to ask only two simple questions in order to diagnose depression. The questions are:

1. During the past month have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
2. During the past month have you been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Could any of us answer no?



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ain.html?in_article_id=450305&in_page_id=1774
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
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SW Scotland
According to the article, GPs are supposed to offer 'talking therapy' first to patients suffering mild to moderate depression.

According to SANE, only 2% of patients were having behavioural therapy, while 80% were on medication.

Pharmaceutical shares, anyone?
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
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The trouble is, many PCT's no longer have anyone available to offer "talk therapy", so often the option is either meds or nothing. Even if it is available, we're talking several months for an appointment I think: much too long for a truly depressed person.
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
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SW Scotland
When I was on the verge of breakdown 2 1/2 years ago I was offered 'talk therapy' and got an appointment immediately. So I suppose like everything else it's a post-code lottery.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
I think we need to define the difference between, being really fed up, finding life difficult, and depression.

Today I am fed up. My husband is having one of his `my life is like living in a concentration camp` days, and it`s really difficult to live with.

I know he`ll be over it by tomorrow, or the next day, and I`ll feel better.

I would answer `Yes` to both questions posed by the Daily Mail, but do not consider myself depressed. To my mind, depression is when you need either drug or counselling therapy to lift your spirits.
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
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london
I agree

Grannie G said:
I think we need to define the difference between, being really fed up, finding life difficult, and depression.

Today I am fed up. My husband is having one of his `my life is like living in a concentration camp` days, and it`s really difficult to live with.

I know he`ll be over it by tomorrow, or the next day, and I`ll feel better.

I would answer `Yes` to both questions posed by the Daily Mail, but do not consider myself depressed. To my mind, depression is when you need either drug or counselling therapy to lift your spirits.


I think I would only define myself as really depressed if I could find nothing at all to look forward to or be cheerful about in the future. Of course, I am not a 24/7 carer like so many of you , but I get very unhappy about my mum and guilty about her unhappiness, I get fed up with my older son who wont get a job and I worry about the younger one who smokes and happily got some idiot to tattoo him!!
But I am very lucky in that they are both happy loving boys, i have a nice (non resident) partner who God forgive him thinks I am sweet who buys me flowers and takes me out.
I am reasonable healthy apart from hypertension, i have enough money to live on and a house and car.
So really I have so much I only need to count my blessings and I am happier again
 

jenniferpa

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Jun 27, 2006
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I absolutely would agree that being sad because of a life circumstance is not the same as being depressed in a clinical sense. It's a bit facile, and this is just personal experience, but when I'm clinically depressed (as opposed to down) I can count all my blessings, and not find comfort in any of them. That's actually how I know I'm spiralling down. I'm sad about my mother's situation, but that's not depression per se, that's being sad.

Jennifer
 

Skye

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Aug 29, 2006
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SW Scotland
jenniferpa said:
I absolutely would agree that being sad because of a life circumstance is not the same as being depressed in a clinical sense.

I'm sad about my mother's situation, but that's not depression per se, that's being sad.

I absolutely agree. That's why the two questions are so pointless. They make no effort to differentiate.
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
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Birmingham Hades
I had a letter from our GP practice asking a whole list of questions about depression.
Do feel useless?
Do you feel like harming yourself?
Do you feel there is no point in life?
Nmany many more.
I put one big yes and asked wouldn't you be depressed after being a carer for over 11 years to a dementia patient?
I did not receive an answer.
Norman
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Hi Norman, 11 years is a long time. Stating the obvious I know, but I`m thinking how I am after 2 years and dread to think how I`ll be in another 9.
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
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Frinton-on-Sea
Am I depressed...................YES, YES, YES

But you learn to pick yourself up, and just caryy on with life.
Our Norman is my example. If I can follow in his footsteps, so be it.
 

alfjess

Registered User
Jul 10, 2006
1,213
0
south lanarkshire
Hi All

I could answer yes definately to both of the above questions, but I have never been depressed, at least not that I know of. I have never been treated for depression, so how do I know, if I am depressed?

I know that recently everything has become an effort, no energy and am not eating like I should.

I don't want to go out, don't want people visiting.

When I think of the next thing I have to deal with for Mum and Dad, I aware of my heart beating, as though it is thumping, indeed I think daily, I have to get to the Doctors and have a check up, but don't do it.

Is this depression? I don't feel depressed

Thanks
Alfjess
 

noelphobic

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
3,452
0
Liverpool
jenniferpa said:
I absolutely would agree that being sad because of a life circumstance is not the same as being depressed in a clinical sense. It's a bit facile, and this is just personal experience, but when I'm clinically depressed (as opposed to down) I can count all my blessings, and not find comfort in any of them. That's actually how I know I'm spiralling down. I'm sad about my mother's situation, but that's not depression per se, that's being sad.

Jennifer

I think you took the words right out of my mouth Jennifer! I think being depressed because of something that has happened is called 'reactive' depression and is a perfectly understandable reaction to things going wrong in your life.

I think the problem is when you literally can't get out of bed in the morning, despite knowing that there are no major problems in your life at the time. There have been times in my life when everything in the garden is as rosy as can reasonably be expected to be, but I am so weighed down by depression that I am literally in physical pain. Conversely, there have been times when I have had really major problems and yet coped OK and been able to rationalise everything. The really scary times are when I have been clinically depressed AND major things are going wrong in my life. Not a good place to be! :eek:
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Hi Alfjess, Not being a doctor, I shouldn`t say, but you don`t sound depressed, you sound anxious and tense and stressed out and worried, but not depressed.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
noelphobic said:
I think you took the words right out of my mouth Jennifer! I think being depressed because of something that has happened is called 'reactive' depression and is a perfectly understandable reaction to things going wrong in your life.

I think the problem is when you literally can't get out of bed in the morning, despite knowing that there are no major problems in your life at the time. There have been times in my life when everything in the garden is as rosy as can reasonably be expected to be, but I am so weighed down by depression that I am literally in physical pain. Conversely, there have been times when I have had really major problems and yet coped OK and been able to rationalise everything. The really scary times are when I have been clinically depressed AND major things are going wrong in my life. Not a good place to be! :eek:

Well I think you took the words out of mine, Brenda! That's an exact description of how I feel when I'm depressed (am I using your brain, or are you using mine?) :D
 

noelphobic

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
3,452
0
Liverpool
alfjess said:
Hi All

I could answer yes definately to both of the above questions, but I have never been depressed, at least not that I know of. I have never been treated for depression, so how do I know, if I am depressed?

I know that recently everything has become an effort, no energy and am not eating like I should.

I don't want to go out, don't want people visiting.

When I think of the next thing I have to deal with for Mum and Dad, I aware of my heart beating, as though it is thumping, indeed I think daily, I have to get to the Doctors and have a check up, but don't do it.

Is this depression? I don't feel depressed

Thanks
Alfjess

I would not attempt to make any kind of diagnosis, obviously, but that does sound like you have symptoms similar to those suffered by many people with depression. Also, the heart thumping sounds like anxiety. When you talk about not wanting to go out and not wanting people visiting then that sounds very familiar - I withdraw into my shell when I am depressed.

It's a good question 'how do I know if I am depressed?' If you saw your GP I would think that he or she would decide on that from the answers to certain questions he would ask you. If you are telling yourself that you need to visit the GP then I think you should try to go ahead and do it. However, another sign of depression can be lethargy, which you also seem to describe! Lethargy can include thinking that it is too much of an effort to make an appointment and see the GP!

I think it might be worth you trying to make the effort to see your GP. They might just be able to help.

Take care
 

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