Real Student Stories

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Picture of Anna Tasha had noticed a regular pattern of mood swings during her teens, but was only recently diagnosed officially with bipolar disorder. She has learnt self-help strategies to supplement medication... more > >

Also in "How Depression Works"...

"During the summer term in my second year, I felt like I lost my patience with the world. I felt like everything in my life was negative, and lost my ability to see anything as positive." Anna "I was so full of very negative feelings that it made me feel empty. Even the things that used to make me happy just didn't make me happy any more - my boyfriend, my work, my friends, my art." Becky

Students Against Depression
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Is Depression Affecting Me?

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Screening for depression

The questions a doctor might ask to check whether or not you might be affected by depression are*:

During the last month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
During the last month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Yes to both?

If your answer is yes to either question then look more closely at the list of warning signs. Think back over the most recent two weeks and record how often you have experienced each of the warning signs relevant to you. select this link for a printable checklist .

Most days for two weeks or more

If you have experienced:

a persistently sad, low, anxious or empty mood, plus
at least three more of the warning signs,
on most days over the last two weeks,

then it is very likely that depression is affecting your life.

See the next page on changes depression brings for how to make a more detailed assessment of how depression is affecting you.

Take it seriously and get help

It is important to take this seriously and to look at how best to tackle depression and find a way forward. Remember, only a doctor or other healthcare professional can officially diagnose depression. If you are at all concerned it would be best to seek professional advice. To find out a bit more about medical diagnosis of depression, follow the clinical definitions link .

Get help immediately for suicidal thinking

If you have found yourself considering acting on thoughts of death or suicide, even if you have not experienced any of the other warning signs, then it is very important to take appropriate action at once. Tell someone else and get help (see desperate right now? for ideas).

changes depression brings > >

Links

More about medical diagnosis of depression: clincial definitions of depression
More about suicide: thinking about suicide , making sense of suicide , surviving suicidal thoughts , desperate right now?
More about getting help: getting support and help , what’s stopping me getting help?
More about how depression works: why me? , depression habit spiral , depressed thinking
More about dealing with depression: tackling depression , finding what works for you
Check page references (*): references and sources

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