Am I Depressed Quiz - How to Tell if You're Depressed: a Self-Test and Common Symptoms
By Simone Smith
How to find out if you're depressed
Depression is a big deal. It's awful. It's terrible. It ruins all the fun!
How do you know if you're depressed? What's the difference between depression and just being down in the dumps about something? Take the quiz below to test yourself, and also have a look at the symptoms below - though nothing beats seeing a professional for diagnosis and help, this guide might help you make an initial analysis.
Am I Depressed? Take this quiz to find out.
Common Symptoms of Depresssion
Regardless of what you got from the quiz above, you should familiarize yourself with the most common symptoms of depression. You'll find them listed below:
- Feeling sad / bummed / hopeless / excessively pissed off when people come sit down next to you and tell you just to "Cheer up! :D"
- Lack of appetite or excessive eating/bingeing
- Significant weight loss or weight gain
- Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
- Feeling tired all the time
- Low self-esteem or a feeling like you've failed at life / let other people down
- Trouble concentrating or keeping in the moment
- Being either excessively restless and fidgety or particularly lethargic and slow on movement and/or speech
- Thoughts of suicide, or a general feeling that the world would be better off if you didn't exist / were "taken care of" by an elite team of assassins
- Self-inflicted physical harm, perhaps through heavy drinking, drug use, cutting, excessive exercise, severe dieting, bulimia, etc.
If any or all of these things
- Are making it difficult to work
- Are hurting your social life
- Have made at least one person verbally express worry about you
- Made it hard to handle your personal life / finances / household
- Have lasted for more than two weeks
... then you're probably clinically depressed. Sorry 'bout that.
Find Help & Hope
If something feels wrong, it probably is. Seek and get the help you need - it seriously makes a difference!
If it means anything, I've had times in my life where I couldn't remember what it felt like to be happy, to have hope, or to have a reason for living. I had times in my life when I thought that I would never be without pain or find even a shred of hope. But I was lucky enough to get help when I needed it, and if you find yourself unhappy like this, you should too. I'm happy now - I seriously love my life those sucky times just seem like a bad dream.
Beating depression isn't easy - some major work on your outlook, metacognition, and thought processes is mandatory, sometimes you'll also have to make major changes in your life- like what you do, where you live, who you see, how you eat, etc...
You might even need to use medication to help get yourself out of the hole. It's a pain in the butt, yeah, but you've got to do what you've got to do!
If you've read this far, I think you've realized something is up. So do something about it. Good luck. Things'll get better. You just have to choose to make them so.
Comments
Hahaa, thanks! It's a serious issue, but I want to make it as cherry as possible :D
Another great hub, Simone. Thanks. :)
Thank you Leann! Depression is an interesting issue - especially since it has only been so recently defined by our society - and doesn't even exist in others! I hope you found the Hub to be informative.
I think I clicked on useful twice. :D Hope I'm not violating anything with that. In case I did...senior moment. Pardon me. :)
But this is not just informative. It's good to discuss about mental health issues like depression. It's part of life and living.
Hope to read all of your other hubs in the next few months, if not weeks. :D
I agree! It is a part of living, and acknowledging, discussing, and actively dealing depression makes it easier to overcome.
And I don't think anything happens when you click "useful" twice, though I am chuffed to have your votes of confidence!
Likewise here, Simone, especially with the nomination. :)
What a wonderful Hub. And I just love quizzes. Very insightful information. Thank you
Thanks, mecheshier! I love quizzes too!
I've experience all but 2 symptoms over a period of 51 years. Thanks for the insight.
Kindest regards,
Dave
Yeah, these things can be very common! The only big problem is if the symptoms clump together, and persist for longer than a couple of weeks. Then, you know you need to do something!
Well that confirms what I always suspected about myself - I took your quiz (like the humor) and discovered I am just fine :) thanks
YAY!!! I'm glad you're all clear!
people should NOT make a joke about depression its not funny
While I absolutely respect your opinion, Tiffny Arnold, I feel that being able to laugh at depression makes it into something that can be overcome. Shall we agree to disagree?
u never told where to get help from.i want to help and fix myself through self help,although all your suggestions will be appriciated.i think am depressed but dont really know...
Hi Steve! Please get help from a counselor or therapist - someone who is professionally trained to help those who might be suffering from depression. I wish you all the best!
i am depressed. i have taken a sorts of things like this and it all stays the same i am younger than 18 so i will tell my mom and consaler tomorro. p.s. I've tryed to kill myself does that mean anything? p.p.s. nice quiz. some of the ones i've taken only talked about their expeanses
I'm really sorry to hear that kittyfish999- though I'm really glad that you'll be asking your mom to get you counseling. Suicide attempts are a serious issue and you need to get yourself help right away. The good news is that things will get better- just make sure you fight for it!
thanks
it says i'm seriously depressed.....i'm only 15.... the worst part is, i think it's correct about me
I'm really sorry to hear that, Chrissy. I hope that you can get some help! Please ask your parents to get you set up with a counselor or therapist. It can make a big difference!
Excellent Simone. I took the exam and I wasn't even anxious to pass, as I did with flying colors. You gave me the green light to prance along for the holidays. Really super hub. Blessings, Debby
P.S. Looks like this will come in EXTRA USEFUL to those in need of diagnosis and help. Once they take the quizz, perhaps they need some resource links to people they can contact?
You make such an excellent point, Debby Bruck! I'll do a bit of extra research and work on putting in some really useful resources for those who are looking for some extra help. Thank you!
You're welcome. Unfortunately, now that my hub score has dropped, I may need some counseling. Actually, if the counseling could improve my score that would really be an extra bonus! Blessings, Debby
Try not to sweat the small stuff, Debby Bruck! If you see a traffic drop, the best approach seems to be to go back, fix up your Hubs (e.g. update them, add more info, add a poll or quiz and more original photos), and try not to pay too much attention to the traffic graph :D
:D I'm learning not to sweat the small stuff.
I'm depressed - not for me, but for the number of young people who are. Having known a talented, lovely girl of 15 who took her life, it is vital that all of us who notice any signs of depression in young ones consider alerting their parents, doctors, school personnel, etc. So many are signalling for help. Thanks for highlighting the situation.
Agreed, MobyWho. I think a lot of depressed teens fall through the cracks because folks shrug off their dark moods just assuming they're being "moody teenagers" or whatever, so it's really important that they actively fight for help!
Simone, that was fun in it's own way, it said I'm good to go, something about prancing about but being careful not to drop the soap in the showers at Penn. State, LOL [joke in bad taste, but in good humor = not depressed?] Seems like I see these type of questions in womens magazines at the doctors offices and sit there killing time taking them for fun and changing the answers to see the options of the entire spectrum and laughing. The laughing probably makes the others think I'm crazy and am waiting for a visit with the psychoanalyst[another word that makes me laugh, as it leads to a diagnosis of cranial-rectosis by Dr.Richard Cranium MD Internologist, ROTFLMAO. I offer my deepest condolences for my twisted humor that some won't "get" or appreciate at all.
That said if you must edit or delete, I did have a Large time with your excellent presentation of what I summize to be another example of the female brain vs the male brain. The female brain moves toward analytic thought process where men want a magazine with pictures of shiny motorcycles with beautiful seat covers, or other things mechanical like an old TV show "Tim the tool man Taylor" or some name like that, that I don't remember for sure. Peace, 50
I'm glad you're good to go, 50! Though obviously that comes as no surprise. NO SOAP DROPPING THOUGH.
I really do think twisted humor can be a sign of vitality... just as it can be a sign of severe depression! All depends on other factors I suppose.
And I thought it was MALE brains that stereotypically moved toward analytic thought, while female brains thought about... oh, I don't know... baking and kittens (I'm just drawing from personal experience, here). Who knows @_@
Minnetonka Twin 18 months ago
Hey, that was really fun. Thanks for the quiz. Great information and very helpful. Thx