Hello Coolbunnyrabbit: You know... from my perspective mental health / illness, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. I can't tell you whether or not you have depression. Only a mental health professional can diagnose you. And the reality of the situation is that even mental health professionals frequently won't agree with regard to a particular person's diagnosis... or lack thereof. You might go to one professional & that person would say: "oh yes... you definitely have depression." Then you might go to another professional & that individual would say no you're just over-thinking all of this.

The real question here it seems to me is, are you comfortable with the way you are living your day-to-day life? Sure there are always going to be ups-&-downs. Everyone has them. But, in sum, are you satisfied with the way things are going? If so, then I personally see no point in pursuing mental health treatment. On the other hand, if you just feel like in sum you're not satisfied with your day-to-day life... you sleep too much, you have no energy, nothing seems to be of interest (including things you used to enjoy), then perhaps it makes sense to consult someone. You did mention you feel this has been going on for 10 or 11 years. So that in itself may suggest this is something that would be worth looking into.

Of course, one avenue to explore is your physical health. Get a medical check-up to make sure everything is okay physically. But, assuming it is, then from my perspective at least the thing to do would be to find a counselor or mental health therapist with whom you can explore, over a period of time, what you are experiencing & what you can do about it. (This can take some effort. Not every counselor or therapist works well with every client.)

I see this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!