[tealBumblebee]

Could I be depressed unknowingly?

I've been baseline and low for the last week. Today, I've noticed that I'm unsociable. I've been very content just sitting in the dark, with the tv on in the background playing a single player game online. For the past week i've been excessively sleepy but the two weeks before that I was completely unable to sleep. I'm going from not hungry to starving at random times (woke up at two am starving, then spent most of today not eating, and then ended up 'starving' again and was eating cereal/chinese food at the same time and now I don't even want to look at food - and no i'm not pregnant.)

When I saw T last week, it was a "low day" and she could pick up on it, but i've had some pretty baseline days too (probably twice as many than low). T pointed out that I had been unsociable, (not with the intention of being antisocial just not thinking about contacting anyone). She suggested that i'm just 'doing what depressed people do'...which would make sense except, I don't feel 'emotionally' depressed.

So I was wondering, is there something with my health that I need to be looking at/making appt. with my GP for or am I just stuck in a depressed pattern without realizing it? Can one just be 'physically' depressed?

Originally Posted by tealBumblebee

Could I be depressed unknowingly?

I've been baseline and low for the last week. Today, I've noticed that I'm unsociable. I've been very content just sitting in the dark, with the tv on in the background playing a single player game online. For the past week i've been excessively sleepy but the two weeks before that I was completely unable to sleep. I'm going from not hungry to starving at random times (woke up at two am starving, then spent most of today not eating, and then ended up 'starving' again and was eating cereal/chinese food at the same time and now I don't even want to look at food - and no i'm not pregnant.)

When I saw T last week, it was a "low day" and she could pick up on it, but i've had some pretty baseline days too (probably twice as many than low). T pointed out that I had been unsociable, (not with the intention of being antisocial just not thinking about contacting anyone). She suggested that i'm just 'doing what depressed people do'...which would make sense except, I don't feel 'emotionally' depressed.

So I was wondering, is there something with my health that I need to be looking at/making appt. with my GP for or am I just stuck in a depressed pattern without realizing it? Can one just be 'physically' depressed?

Have you seen a MD/NP about this? What does 'emotionally depressed' feel like to you? In my understanding, some people are more melancholic and some are more flat affect. You can also be in an "agitated depression."

I think, stop worrying for now and see a doctor.

[GenCat]

I think depression can change in how sever or how it comes about and how long it stays. I think you can be depressed without knowing you are because depression is all about slowness. If you know what depression feels like in your experiences and then you try and compare it to another time you were depressed, ask yourself were they the same?

I was depressed severely for 2 months, at my worst, because I couldn't get out of bed and do anything. I was STUCK. Now, I am depressed, but im not stuck, im social, working, but tired than normal and feeling alittle slow. I think one can be tired physically and depressed but not physically depressed because depression affects your brain, and maybe it is telling you your body is tired.

Has anything happened recently to make you feel different? The smallest things can trigger depression, but they have to be significant or traumatizing to you for your body to react.

[ncrust]

I think depression comes from desperation. Desperation comes from luck of faith.

[tealBumblebee]

Originally Posted by Cynosure

Have you seen a MD/NP about this? What does 'emotionally depressed' feel like to you? In my understanding, some people are more melancholic and some are more flat affect. You can also be in an "agitated depression."

I think, stop worrying for now and see a doctor.

I never hear of agitated depression but I will be sure to look it up. The little that I have noted already doesn't seem quite on it. I have not seen an MD about it because if it's 'just depression' there really isn't anything he can do - since I don't believe in taking meds. I also, don't want 'depression' in my chart so I tend to be aware of my own body but also like to handle it myself.

When I say emotionally depressed - I mean, i've had moments of feeling "empty", spending my mornings and nights crying, etc. I don't feel any of that right now honestly. I just feel like sleeping, lol.

Originally Posted by GenCat

I think depression can change in how sever or how it comes about and how long it stays. I think you can be depressed without knowing you are because depression is all about slowness. If you know what depression feels like in your experiences and then you try and compare it to another time you were depressed, ask yourself were they the same?

I was depressed severely for 2 months, at my worst, because I couldn't get out of bed and do anything. I was STUCK. Now, I am depressed, but im not stuck, im social, working, but tired than normal and feeling alittle slow. I think one can be tired physically and depressed but not physically depressed because depression affects your brain, and maybe it is telling you your body is tired.

Has anything happened recently to make you feel different? The smallest things can trigger depression, but they have to be significant or traumatizing to you for your body to react.

You may have a couple of points. I actually feel like when I was previously really depressed, I was actually more active than I am now. But I was also more nervous, tearful, restless, angry, etc.

I know it all started the night of my last session before T went on a week vacation. I was physically ill (had a bug I think) but I really think I went through a literal withdrawal because that's when I began not being able to sleep. I started being able to sleep two nights before T returned and I thought that'd be it, but now I can't stop sleeping. I make myself get up when I realize it's one in the afternoon, but I feel like I could sleep for days if left alone to do so.

Mood wise, i've been okay - just a tad bit more 'to myself' than usual - and thats really why I'm not sure i'm depressed. I've had no suicidal thoughts or self injurious moments - I really just have been kind of 'losing time' being to myself and sleeping.

[shamon86]

Personally i don't think so. I've had fatigue before I was ever diagnosed with depression but I don't have any answers yet. I had gotten to a place where depression was under control and now trying to figure out the fatigue but the docs hear depression and blame that. They've run tests but everything comes up "normal". It's still a concern I think you should bring it up to your gp and if they're a good doc hopefully they'll run some tests to make sure everything checks out. Good luck!

[Altered Moment]

For me it is very much physical. I never feel sad or cry I just feel numb. I lack energy and motivation are the two biggest symptoms. Non social is way up there too.

I think what you describe are very common symptoms of depression. maybe as GenCat says you are just experiencing it differently than in the past. The nature of my depression has changed overall and different episodes can be different. For example I have never had anxiety my whole life. Then in recent years I get it real bad now with my depression.

Of course all of this stuff is very complex and you should get checked out by a GP. Thyroid is the first thing they should check. If you are female hormones can cause this. Often women are put on birth control as part of their treatment for depression or some form of hormone therapy.

[Jolisse]

There could be a physical reason why you're depressed and seeing a doctor is a good idea.
I had tons of tests done, to rule out any physical reason for my depression. Everything came back fine, I know my depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Unfortunately, there's no test for that. I take medication, which helps my depression but doesn't cure it.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by ncrust

I think depression comes from desperation. Desperation comes from luck of faith.

A lack of faith in what? God? Jesus? Meds? Therapy? The human spirit?

I have had much faith in God and in the human spirit's ability to overcome my whole life. That has not put a dent in my depression.

If someone has cancer is it their lack of faith that causes this?

[tealBumblebee]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

For me it is very much physical. I never feel sad or cry I just feel numb. I lack energy and motivation are the two biggest symptoms. Non social is way up there too.

I think what you describe are very common symptoms of depression. maybe as GenCat says you are just experiencing it differently than in the past. The nature of my depression has changed overall and different episodes can be different. For example I have never had anxiety my whole life. Then in recent years I get it real bad now with my depression.

Of course all of this stuff is very complex and you should get checked out by a GP. Thyroid is the first thing they should check. If you are female hormones can cause this. Often women are put on birth control as part of their treatment for depression or some form of hormone therapy.

I actually have had my thyroid tested twice recently when I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). All of my tests came back fine (my prolactin levels were high but they went back down to high normal) and they said that all of my labs came back completely normal to the point that they don't even know what to treat to fix the PCOS. They've offered birth control but I took myself off of it years ago because it was unnecessary hormones in my body and it was making me so emotional the week before my period (I was literally 'cant-breathe' crying over a slightly dirty bathroom). I guess the biggest things is, that I hadn't realized the nature of the depression could change so this does help a lot to know this.

Originally Posted by Jolisse

There could be a physical reason why you're depressed and seeing a doctor is a good idea.
I had tons of tests done, to rule out any physical reason for my depression. Everything came back fine, I know my depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Unfortunately, there's no test for that. I take medication, which helps my depression but doesn't cure it.

I don't really believe in taking medicines but I agree about the physical reason. My doctor says that with the exception of my allergies/eczema he couldn't ask for a healthier patient and if its solely related to chemical imbalance (I do have a family history of depression + have MDD, severe, recurrent, w/o psych) then I would be content just knowing that "that" was the cause. Maybe I could just schedule a well-visit physical.

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

A lack of faith in what? God? Jesus? Meds? Therapy? The human spirit?

I have had much faith in God and in the human spirit's ability to overcome my whole life. That has not put a dent in my depression.

If someone has cancer is it their lack of faith that causes this?

While I appreciate Ncrust taking the time to answer, I actually didn't really know how to respond to that so thanks Zinco for summarizing the questions that formed in my head.

[Clara22]

I know religious people that have enormous faith in god that have been severely depressed, depression is a medical condition, nothing to do with faith