Depressed or just tired

[LinkAgeDragon]

How do you know if you are actually depressed or if its just a side effect from severe exhaustion and anaemia?? Thanks

[TheLightSeeker]

LinkAgeDragon,

OMG, I urge you to get some help asap!
Tell your OH to find a way through the available channels to
get you some immediate health care attention.
Your life will continue to be dysfunctional if you do not get your anemia addressed. If your iron or ferritin levels are low (note that serum ferritin may not always exclude iron deficiency! as it can be elevated because of inflammation) even after supplementation, you may need iron shots.

After this you should get your adrenal and thyroid function checked.
I suspect low adrenal function (primary) and low thyroid function (secondary).
You may want to try on your own Dr. Barnes Basal Temperature Test.
Just follow the simple online instructions, precisely!
Let me know the results after you complete the test, if you decide to do it.

Following a "proper" therapy to correct these suspected imbalances,
most of your symptoms should dissipate or vanish in time, however,
should you still experience symptoms of depression and exhaustion,
then you can look into these further.

Please keep us posted and meanwhile should you have any questions
let us know.

Cheers!
Niko

[LinkAgeDragon]

Thank you for your comments...I am going to my GP on Monday to talk to him about how I am feeling at present. Things had gotten a little worse not long after I posted this question as I caught myself driving home from work willing for cars to pull out on me, just so things would stop for a while. Let me catch up mentally with everything that is going on. I told my OH this at the weekend when she found me in a ball on the kitchen floor, unable to stop crying.
Fingers crossed I manage to get things sorted soon.

[Jinx_777]

it would be almost impossible to tell the difference between the 2 with your issues.  normally, for me, i know i am depressed when i lose interest in things (everything) that used to matter to me, feeling like i am carrying an elephant around, NO energy, sadness, etc.
with anemia you will have many of those (if not all of them) and nothing is going to fix it until you fix that.  the above poster had excellent advice

[TheLightSeeker]

Hi LinkAgeDragon.

You ARE depressed or experiencing symptoms of depression whether it is a side-effect, secondary to other conditions, or primary  depression.

There are many types of depression, however, the best course of action for you is to deal with the underlying exhaustion and anemia immediately!!!
as this might be the ultimate test, which will perhaps not only answer your question, but take care of all your issues, you mentioned in your post!

There's no reason for any doctor who diagnosed you with anemia, to leave you untreated. Anemia can lead to many health complications and fatigue is just part of it and depression is another likelihood.
Prolonged, it WILL cause many unwanted health issues!

Other possible underlying imbalances with symptoms of depression are
low thyroid function as well as low adrenal function with  anemia as a co-factor while exhaustion is a common symptom in both.

Hope this helps, however, my comments are not intended as replacement
for medical advice.

Best wishes.
Niko