The depression quizzes aren't helping...

[PAGES]

Sometimes I feel really down for about a week (and i mean down like in the bottom of something deep down) and then go back to being "normal" again for a week or so and during this week I am quite happy with no worries at all. I don't know whether or not what I am experiencing is depression or just mood-swings. How do I find out? It would be weird if I went to see a GP because my father is one and whenever I am ill I go to him but would never in my wildest dreams discuss something like this with him. If I went to another GP people would start asking questions and I don't want people to start asking questions because they may start looking at me funny. so until I know if what I have is or isn't depression I don't want to tell anyone I know about my problems.

I tend to make things seem more significant than they actually are, therefore I feel that one of the main causes of what is making me feel so sad is not knowing why. every time reflect on the problems than could cause this I tend to become even more sad so I then try to ignore my problems. It's also very frustrating and confusing not knowing, it seems like I have some severe mental illness but I don't know whether or not I have just inflated and stressed myself over what could be an average dose of sadness.

until I find out whether I am sad or depressed I think I'll become more and more sad so is there a simple way of knowing?? is there any way of knowing??
i have also taken some of the online depression quizzes but they're not very useful because the answers depend on which mood I am in.

please help me because the doubt  is so hard and frustrating to have to handle.

[geoff]

dear Page, thanks for joining us, as most other respondents are probably still asleep, I will offer my thoughts.

My Dad was also a GP, but he never knew of my OCD when I was young, and by the time I was diagnosed with depression I was married and had 2 sons, but he too had to be convinced by an elder brother that I needed to see someone, because I don't think he believed that one of his kids would ever get depression, so he organised an appointment with a psychiatrist, who I only saw once.

I wonder whether you have done these depression tests when you are both moods at separate times.

If you went to see another GP, one listed on this site under 'get support', then who is to know.

From your description it shows that you may have bipolar depression, because people with this illness do change from 'high moods' and then to 'low moods', so it all depends on the relationship with your dad, and I'm meaning this in a harmful way, but he could be like my dad and never believe it's possible to have a family member suffer from depression.

So either way you need to have it clinically diagnosed by your dad or by another doctor, so the decision is yours, but I would seek another GP, but this depends on your age.

Hope to hear back from you. Geoff.