do you have depression?
- Thread starter visibleghost
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visibleghost
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why are you against self diagnosis of depression lol it takes psychologists like 5 seconds to be like "haha ok so you have epic depression syndrome, i can see it in your eyes" like it really isnt a big deal.
depression can be everything from "this last month ive been sad a lot, almost every day ):" to "hello i cant move my body because of the soul crushing depression and also all the nerve damage from my 150 suicide attempts lol" like it really can be so many different things, just because two people have the same disorder doesnt mean they even have compareable issues. same thing with anxiety, so many people have it but a majority have a very manageable type that isnt compareable to life ruining anxiety.
not that it sounds like every single person in this thread knows exactly what depression is but i think it's better to be edgy and think youre special because you "have depression" than to not know youre depressed and do anything about it.
also, not that you wrote anything about this but there are people who think that just because someone is a weirdo about it theyre not depressed, a lot of people with depression are super edgy and write poems about how no one gets them because they have had mild depression for two months and their mom doesnt let them get a tattoo of their favourite screamo song lyrics but thats like..... just kind of embarrassing for them and not an indication that theyre not depressed.
i think it's important to dislike the depressed person being annoying instead of talking about fakers and attention seekers because while depression is romanticized and it's gross to do that, a lot of people with mild (and not mild) depression doubt themselves and refrain from getting help because theyre not depressed enough or even depressed in their own eyes. it's stupid to (have to) wait until youre suicidal to get help for your depression, early intervention saves so much suffering and money (for society if the government pays for therapy etc. haha) and even lives, but it's common to just ignore mild depression because others have it worse. idk i just think it's important to be open for self diagnosis but to also help them understand what depression is. if someone thinks theyre depressed i think they could be happier and even if they arent actually depressed they still deserve compassion and support.
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I haven't been diagnosed but I'm pretty dang sure I have it to some degree. Last year I was really bad in the winter where I easily skipped lots of my classes to just stay in bed because I didn't think getting up would be worth it. It was really bad where I almost failed a class cause I wouldn't hand in assignments either.
Luckily that strength of depression is gone at least for now but i do get in sad moods of despair where I just think I'm a horrible person and nobody wants me and I'm better off dead, etc. But it comes and goes in waves.
Luckily that strength of depression is gone at least for now but i do get in sad moods of despair where I just think I'm a horrible person and nobody wants me and I'm better off dead, etc. But it comes and goes in waves.
mellachime
Magical Girl
I have depression and take medication for it and it also is for my anxiety. I have other mental illnesses I don't wanna say here but, gosh with having all these and depression as well can be really challenging and make life very hard but, I'm trying my best! ACNL really has been helping me...tremendously.
I haven't felt bad in days cause of it! (Well..until today actually)
But yeah. ;_;
I haven't felt bad in days cause of it! (Well..until today actually)
But yeah. ;_;
griefseed
🍄🌱🍂 행운Ꮿ
i've been struggling for most of my life, not only with depression but other unnamed (on here, by choice) mental illnesses. it's been recently on the upwards with proper medication + productive therapy sessions but i can tell it's heading back to a rougher place. but, yeah! i have major depression w/ psychotic features and have had it for.... a really long time now!
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I'm wondering, what do you think people are going to do with a self diagnosis of depression to necessarily fix it? Also I dunno, getting diagnosis isn't generally that straight forward, but I will admit I'm in country with free healthcare so it's literally pointless to self diagnose. The issue I see with this is you end up with people misdiagnosing the problems or using as an excuse to not work on issues themselves. You might have someone with SAD thinking they've depression and missing the boat for YEARS on very affordable ways to help their condition because they don't bother to dig deeper into the problem. Or you might have people with type 2 bipolar think they've depression because their down patches last so long, and because the issue doesn't get picked up and is otherwise 'being dealt with' with self diagnosis people experience brain damage from the longterm fits of mania, or let's say you've someone with ADHD or ADD mistaking their inability to focus with a more depression related inability to focus, and missing out on both work accessibility and education related accessibility. The brain is the most complicated body part, yet it's the area of medicine people seem the most eager to assume they have all the answers for. Mental health is just an area where the individual is too biased, you might know yourself the best, but that doesn't mean you know the DSM-V front to back.
Webmd isn't a replacement for actually treating the problem. Just because someone disagrees with you, well, this person doesn't have to be open to self diagnosis. That's their choice of what they see as acceptable or not, not everyone has to agree with you on everything. There's no harm in looking after yourself on your own as much as possible, I definitely advocate for people to actively care for themselves, but arriving at a foregone conclusion can be in some cases actually quite dangerous. Society at large benefits more from more accessible mental health services than the normalisation of self diagnosis - but that's just my opinion, and you can totally disagree with me and that has 0% impact on your character as an individual.
Side note though, there are some symptoms I have 0 problems with people self diagnosing though, like gender dysphoria, but gender dysphoria is an instance where the issue is so accute and exact, there's very little else it can be, whereas depression has crossover symptoms with.... literally about every other existing mental health problem, developmental disorder, or other physically issues including those with nothing to do with the brain. It's too broad. To reiterate, all for people being self aware of their daily problems and making note and paying attention, but we should all be careful to get too self assured of our conclusions. I thought I had depression but nope, developmental disorder. If I never went to the doctor about it my life would be a billion times harder right now, no government assistance, no ability to make use of disability orientated employability services, no nothing.
visibleghost
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
i think you're misunderstanding my point. i'm not saying people shouldn't seek out professional help or get diagnosed, i just think that if someone is clearly depressed but hasn't had a psychologist be like "ya youre depressed" they're still depressed. there are a lot of ways to help yourself with your symptoms of depression but obviously it's important to find the root cause of it and to get treatment.
self diagnosing depression/realizing you're most likely depressed is a part of realizing you need help. people go to a psychologist once they suspect they have a problem and for that to happen you have to know that you can have depression. most of the time depression creeps up on you until it's the new normal and it can be difficult to know what you're supposed to feel like when you're not depressed. so many people treat feeling empty, being sad all the time and hating yourself as normal parts of growing up and being a person and it normalizes it. experiencing those things once in a while is normal, but when you accept that life is just supposed to feel meaningless and terrible and that that's normal... you're not going to get better. In order to get better you have to know you have a problem, and helping people realize that they do have a problem starts with how the general population views and treats depression. if it is a problem Other People have then well, of course you can't have it, you're just tired from a long week! but if it's something you are allowed to call yourself, if it's destigmatized and a normal problem (which it most definitely is, many, many people are depressed), and if it's acceptable to be depressed, it will be easier for people to get help.
i think your view of it being unnecessary to self diagnose is based on just one perspective of the issue. even where healthcare is free there is a stigma, many people don't know they even can get help, their parents might not allow it, they're too embarrassed, or the queue to seeing a psychologist is long. besides, a big part of the tbt community is made up of young americans. in the us healthcare is expensive and if they're poor or their parents aren't supportive it suddenly becomes a lot more difficult to see a therapist and receive that golden Depression Certificate.
seeing a therapist isn't a magic cure, it takes a lot of time and effort to become healthy again, and for some that might never happen. what is important is to learn how to manage your depression. you don't go to therapy and walk out cured, you go to therapy and learn how to help yourself so you can survive all those other hours of the week when you're not in therapy. while it would be absolutely great if everyone with symptoms of depression would be treated by a psychologist, that's just not the way things are now. there are plenty of depressed people going undiagnosed and without help, these people still need and deserve support, tools and understanding. not gate keeping depression resources, communities and self help things is super important for people to get better.
of course people should seek help, especially if they are having more problems, it's very persistent or it gets worse. you don't know exactly what's going on with your head and there is definitely a risk of it being something other than organically homegrown depression.
you seem to be concerned about people being mistaken and self diagnosing with something they don't have, which definitely can happen. i'm not arguing against that, i just think that gate keeping depression is very harmful.
With the self diagnose thingy, depression is definitely one of the easiest mental illnesses to recognise. You don't need to go see a psychiatrist for it to be valid imo. Obviously people are going to lie/exaggerate or just misinterpret depression but yea it can be pretty easy to spot
kinda disagree with what i said here as its not always easy to spot whether ur looking at yourself or someone else (its different for everyone) i think what i was trying to say is that you dont necessarily need to get a diagnosis from a psychiatrist to realise that youre depressed
kinda disagree with what i said here as its not always easy to spot whether ur looking at yourself or someone else (its different for everyone) i think what i was trying to say is that you dont necessarily need to get a diagnosis from a psychiatrist to realise that youre depressed
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idiotdoomspiral
=__=
Ya. I used to be like Ur not exactly diagnosed so dont say u have depression. Which isnt true. Its just gatekeeping people from having an answer to why they can feel so bad. People also genuinely believe that u only have REAL depression if the feeling never exactly gets better. Annoying
Me agree
but thats not the way it works? a psychologist doesnt diagnose, is not a medical doctor and cannot prescribe medicine? so they really shouldnt diagnose one as depressed if that person hasn't seen their doctor first.
if one confidently claims theyre depressed i hope they were evaluated by an actual medical doctor prior, hopefully one that specializes in mental disorders like a psychiatrist. a good psychiatrist will evaluates symptoms the patient shares, the duration of those symptoms, and whether or not it coincides with the the current guidelines and protocol.
afterwards, many people are then referred to a therapists (which i think you mean when you say psychologist) to received cognitive behavioral therapy especially if on an antidepressant for highest success rate.
there are many people who claim they are depressed when its a bad day or week, or maybe have low self esteem about themselves, or some other element that just makes them feel 'bad' but isnt considered -clinical- depression despite diagnosing themselves as that. i understand goro's point of view of self-diagnosis...
but of course if you are feeling so bad for quite a long time that you dont look forward to your day or you just wish to not even be on this earth anymore of course tell a counselor at school or see a doctor especially if you know its affecting your activities of daily living.
I can understand the frustration that may come with many claiming that they are depressed, when they have not in fact been diagnosed with depression. There is a reason why medical diagnosis exist, and I feel if you really want professional help in the long run, for many, going in for a diagnosis and then following the steps afterwards may be the optimal decision.
On the flip side, I feel like for many depression has this "black & white" connotation, when I don't really think it's all that simple. I do believe it's possible to be depressed one day, and feel a lot better the next, but I also feel like depression is a much heavier, and impactful state than just "having a bad day". I can very well be a reoccurring thing, and not strictly a constant that has to be fixed with medical treatment.
Even if someone isn't medically diagnosed with a mental illness, I definitely feel like directly invalidating how they feel will do more harm than good. It's a touchy subject, but I feel like this is something that needs to be more actively discussed.
On the flip side, I feel like for many depression has this "black & white" connotation, when I don't really think it's all that simple. I do believe it's possible to be depressed one day, and feel a lot better the next, but I also feel like depression is a much heavier, and impactful state than just "having a bad day". I can very well be a reoccurring thing, and not strictly a constant that has to be fixed with medical treatment.
Even if someone isn't medically diagnosed with a mental illness, I definitely feel like directly invalidating how they feel will do more harm than good. It's a touchy subject, but I feel like this is something that needs to be more actively discussed.
Mr. Cat
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ &#
I avoid people because of how rude they are to everybody they supposedly like behind their back. And that leaves me alone a lot. Which isn't a problem, but I've learned that it's really hard to get very far in life without any personal contacts.
XxNicolexX
Senior Member
I been depressed since I was 8 and I?m now 24
visibleghost
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
psychologists diagnose mental illnesses here lol idk where youre from but it's how it works here. it seems that counsellors and people without a psychology degree generally don't diagnose people but doctors, dentists and psychologists diagnose peoplewith different things (in their respective fields of work) and sometimes nurses and others can do it too.
i don't mean therapist when i say psychologist lol, way to be patronizing about it though.
to call yourself a psychologist in sweden you have to have a psychology degree (5 years) and have worked for like 1.5 years as a practicing psychologist. therapist is an umbrella term for people who can treat mental illnesses and do therapy, people w a therapist licence, but you can have a very short education for it. a social services (socionom) degree is common among therapists (terapeuter) and then they have a therapist licence on top of that and blah blah blah but it differs a lot between different therapists. some educations are very short and some are much longer. for treatment of serious mental health issues a psychologist is usually the therapist doing the therapy but w mild or moderate depression a terapeut (therapist only) is good too. so no, i don't mean therapist when i say psychologist.
a psychologist can't prescribe medicine, that's what psychiatrists (educated medical doctors, 5.5 years med school, 21 month AT-tj?nst, then specialization towards psychiatry) do.
do you for real think i don't know how diagnosing works. "hopefully someone who specializes in mental disorders" yeah i sure hope they do? like for example a psychologist?
cbt and antidepressants arent the only ways to treat depression and it's important to work together with the therapist to find something that suits your needs. you don't go to a therapist and just listen to everything they say and then you're fine, it's a process that you both are part of and need to participate in. youre making it sound like us mere mortals without a medical degree or psych licence can't know anything about mental health issues and shouldn't even try to reflect on our issues until a doctor has given us permission to be officially depressed.
yes, people say theyre depressed when theyre not. depression is often used as the name of a feeling. it's like how feeling anxiety doesnt mean you have an anxiety disorder. but yea, there are misconceptions that need to go away but sitting on some high horse with a certificate of Real Depression (Which I Have Had For Three Weeks So Now Im An Expert On Everything) and talking down to people with mental health issues who aren't receiving help is just stupid, rude and pathetic.
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what the heck lol, i didn?t even mean to hit a nerve with you why are you so offended and aggressive.
i wasn?t even trying to be patronizing. many doctors prescribe antidepressants outside of their specialty, i see it all the time, so that?s the only reason why i said hopefully one who specializes in mental disorders to do the diagnosing and prescribing for best/accurate treatment. i think more so psychologist is an umbrella term, bc i referred to behavioral therapists specifically. i mean correct me if im wrong but i never heard of a psychologist having the authority to diagnose a disease but more so evaluate and interpret ones personality which can be supportive in a MD?s decision.
CBT & antidepressants combination are the professional standard to treat depression when severe but of course involving other measures like encouraging exercise or involving supportive factors such as friends and family involvement increases success rate of remission for a depressive episode.
despite it all, depression (like all mental issues) is very difficult to treat.
i have no idea what your last paragraph is about but if you rly interpreted me saying ppl who don?t receive professionally help have no room to call themselves depressed and called me pathetic over then wow i?m sorry ur this incredibly difficult to have a common discussion with. it?s not insulting to have a convo with different views, in fact it?s immature if it is.
if anything i was encouraging those to receive medical help if one thinks they are depressed, that?s why all these options are there. but i can, at the same time, believe people may self-diagnose themselves as depressed when actually they clinically aren?t and need a different change in mindset. obviously both scenarios are incredibly possible.
i wasn?t even trying to be patronizing. many doctors prescribe antidepressants outside of their specialty, i see it all the time, so that?s the only reason why i said hopefully one who specializes in mental disorders to do the diagnosing and prescribing for best/accurate treatment. i think more so psychologist is an umbrella term, bc i referred to behavioral therapists specifically. i mean correct me if im wrong but i never heard of a psychologist having the authority to diagnose a disease but more so evaluate and interpret ones personality which can be supportive in a MD?s decision.
CBT & antidepressants combination are the professional standard to treat depression when severe but of course involving other measures like encouraging exercise or involving supportive factors such as friends and family involvement increases success rate of remission for a depressive episode.
despite it all, depression (like all mental issues) is very difficult to treat.
i have no idea what your last paragraph is about but if you rly interpreted me saying ppl who don?t receive professionally help have no room to call themselves depressed and called me pathetic over then wow i?m sorry ur this incredibly difficult to have a common discussion with. it?s not insulting to have a convo with different views, in fact it?s immature if it is.
if anything i was encouraging those to receive medical help if one thinks they are depressed, that?s why all these options are there. but i can, at the same time, believe people may self-diagnose themselves as depressed when actually they clinically aren?t and need a different change in mindset. obviously both scenarios are incredibly possible.
Last year I was really depressed. I stopped going to all my classes and stayed in my dorm for literally days on end, only leaving to get food... I would try to go to class again but by the time I gained the willpower to force myself to go it was way too late.. I had to withdraw from the semester by way of medical leave. Luckily the assistant dean was great help and she understood depression p well, and I am very grateful for her. I started seeing a therapist as well, and I was able to start taking medication for my depression and anxiety.
I?m back at college now, and this semester has been one of the greatest so far, and my mental health has never been better. There are days where i feel depressed- but that?s relatively normal, I think. For everyone.
I?m back at college now, and this semester has been one of the greatest so far, and my mental health has never been better. There are days where i feel depressed- but that?s relatively normal, I think. For everyone.
cheerleader
24/7 heaven
i have a mood disorder (bipolar I with psychotic features) but i was misdiagnosed with depression before
