Depression - how can you tell?

I know there was another thread on the topic of depression but I thought I'd start a new one as the other is pretty hefty.

This may sound like a silly question but how do you know if you're depressed - or does the fact that I'm asking the question mean that obviously I'm not.

Here's the situation ; my BF works away from home all week and is only home at the weekends. This has been the situtation for about a year. In the mean time I left my job in the summer as I've been doing some distance learning to change careers. I've been unemployed ever since which means I'm on my own at home all day and all evening.

There's a couple of volunteer posts going in my new field ( conservation management) but I've only been to 2 of the sessions and keep making up feeble excuses to not go.

Riding my bike at least gets me out of the house but lately I've felt very sluggish and have come home cutting a ride short because I've felt worn out.

Where's the line between feeling a bit fed up/down and being depressed?

http://www.pennhealth.com/health_inf..._symptoms.html
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm

Thanks Irulan - v. useful links. I've had a read through and I've decided that I'm probably just feeling a bit seasonally affected. We switched to daylight saving a couple of weeks ago so it's dark by 4.00 in the afternoon now. Probably just need a bit of re-adjusting.

Thanks:)

going thru the same thing MM - we went thru our time change 2 wks ago and I ride to work now in the sunshine and have a Great day - and ride home in the dusk and by the time I get home I don't want to do Anything. I just decided I"m going to wallow in the lazy mode thru the weekend then kick myself in the hinney and get on with my life. I believe there are just times when we need to "shut down" and I blame the time change for mine! good luck hun - and know you're not alone!

I think a lot of folks are affected mildly by the time change, seasonal changes. It's important to understand that some blues, sadness, low energy and down times are natural, part of life. It's when your ability to function, or your ability to enjoy life, starts to get impaired on a longer term basis that it's time to look at what's going on. Those symptom lists are handy just to check against.

Irulan

Thanks Irulan - I understand completely that life would feel very unnatural if everything was always on the same platitude. You've gotta have the mountains to climbs before you can have the exhilaration of free-wheeling over the other side.

Has anyone tried St Johns Wort for mild fedup-ness/ SAD? I bought some the other day and I have to say I do feel it's perked me up a bit. I've started to feel a lot less grouchy.