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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Am I clinically depressed?
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Am I clinically depressed?
by Sheldon, Dec 05, 1999 12:00AM
I am 22-years-old and my boyfriend and I constantly have problems and he says it is because of my mood swings. I do have frequent mood swings but I think it is because I feel sad all the time. I cannot concentrate at work and I get angry when I have to spend time alone because that is when I am the saddest and I cry alot because I dwell on the fact that me and my boyfriend have problems. He doesn't understand how sad I am and says I am silly. I know I should break up with him because our relationship is not healthy and sometimes I get so angry at him that we get violent with one another. I am terrified of being alone so I always beg his forgiveness when we break up because I think I can't live without him but I think it is just that I am afraid of being alone. We have no future and that makes me more sad. My sadness makes me want to drink a lot but then I get even more depressed. I have no friends really because i have alienated them. What I am asking is is there something worng with me that there may be medicine for or am I just sad because I am in a bad relationship? Right now I feel out of control.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS-M.D.- HG, Dec 07, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Sheldon
Based on the described information, it appears you may be having a mood disorder (depression). But it is not clear if your depression is a result of your relationship problems. People with depression do feel sad most of the time with disturbances in sleep/appetite, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, decreased energy, decreased memory and concentration. All the above symptoms can significantly affect social and occupational functioning of a person. Depression can result from stress due to any cause (such as a bad relationship), medical problems such as hypothyroidism etc. A combination of medications and psychotherapy are helpful in the treatment of depression. If you can relate yourself to the above described symptoms, it may be worth consulting a Mental Health Professional for an expert opinion. If it is secondary to the relationship problem, therapy can be helpful. .
Based on the described information, it appears you may be having a mood disorder (depression). But it is not clear if your depression is a result of your relationship problems. People with depression do feel sad most of the time with disturbances in sleep/appetite, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, decreased energy, decreased memory and concentration. All the above symptoms can significantly affect social and occupational functioning of a person. Depression can result from stress due to any cause (such as a bad relationship), medical problems such as hypothyroidism etc. A combination of medications and psychotherapy are helpful in the treatment of depression. If you can relate yourself to the above described symptoms, it may be worth consulting a Mental Health Professional for an expert opinion. If it is secondary to the relationship problem, therapy can be helpful. .
I am in a very similar situation to you. I am 18 years old, and I live with my boyfriend who I have been with for almost 4 years. I have panic disorder and depression, and he doesn't understand. He too, is always making fun of my problems, and he tells me I'm screwed in the head. He always calls me names, and when I cry, he tells me to stop being such a baby. I have finally had enough though...you will come to that point eventually...and I am moving out of here to try and salvage what we once had. I know how horrible a bad relationship is. I strongly suggest that you try to have your own life and do your own things..meet people. Have fun. Your self esteem will improve as you begin to not feel so dependant on your man. You can still be with him, if you like, just don't centre your whole life around him. I made that mistake, and now I'm correcting it. I just began a new job, and am meeting people, and I'm feeling a lot more confident. And you know what else? He would probably treat you better too, if you are more sure of yourself, and a bit of a "challenge" for him you know? Just let him know you're hurt, and you're not going to put up with it anymore. I don't think you need medication, just some self-esteem. If you want to talk more, my e-mail address is: ***@****
Good luck
Rhianna
I'm not sure if I am or am not depressed. I am a teenager and as most of you know they are comenly known to be depressed. I'm in 7th grade and I think I'm suffering from having allmost no self esteem or having self confedence in my self. I walk in school with my sholders up and my arms crosed feeling like someones going to hurt me. And for some reason i'm saying in my head "Please don't look at me. Please don't make fun of me. PLease." over and over agian. But it's not my fault.
For a very long time everyone thought i was uncomferadable in big places like some people are afriad of small places well i'm the opiset. Well I finaly found out that it wasn't because of that. It was because I was scared. And I still am. I'm so scared.
this is how I feel:
Everyone did it, it wasn't my fault. I feel like i'm locked inside a little room, just big anough to hold me in. They have been shoving me in for so long and finaly I couldn't hold back anymore and I could pused in and they locked the door. I'm trying to unlock it but it's locked from the outside. I get down on my feet and try and find the key but I can't. But I realize that the thruth really is I didn't want to. I want to stay in the "room" and stay hiddin from everyone. Try to sit in the corner and not be noticed. "Please don't hurt me, Please don't."
'end'
Everyday now that I go to school I feel this way. I try to tell my parent but when I get home I feel happy and don't want to remind myself of how low selfesteem i have, but i do it anyway. I feel so depressed.
What should I do? What should I do to get out of this room? Even though I don't want to get out I have to face it sooner or later. I want to stop feeling so bad. Do you have any suggestions.
Ps if You want to e-mail me back could you please mail me at ***@**** ....if you don't e-mail me at that e-mail adress then don't e-mail me back...because that's my mom & dads adress.