How do I… know if I’m depressed?
It can be hard to identify the differences sometimes between depression and low mood or grief, even anxiety.
There is a reason why people refer to depression as ‘black dogs’, where life does not seem worth living. First of all, we need to explore the following questions:
Have you been feeling sad, empty or down most of every day?
Have your sleep patterns changed — are you getting too much or too little sleep?
Do you struggle to concentrate or get out of bed or have no energy almost every day?
Do you feel hopeless or worthless, or have had thoughts of death or suicide?
If the answer to these is yes and you have been feeling this way for more than two weeks, then you may depressed. We would discuss and explore any negative thought patterns that are leading to your condition, similar as in to CBT therapy – as well as if any lifestyle changes will help you, including better sleep patterns, stress reduction, nutrition and exercise -- regular exercise can be effective as medication for mild to moderate depression. Drawing from psychodynamic therapy, we would also look at your past and unconscious processes; for example, depression can be anger turned inwards.
