Does this sound like depression? Maybe dysthymia?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hello guys,

I'm posting here after 5 months of confusion and struggle. I haven't felt normal since Novermber, and it is now April.

My main symptom is fatigue I suppose, just a general lack of energy. This doesn't seem to be made too much worse with exercise. I have been to the doctor and blood tests etc found nothing wrong with me physically. Apart from fatigue I have had bouts of neck pain, and the occasional headache etc..

I can't really tell if I am depressed. I definitly am not as social as I was a few months ago, and everything certainly feels a lot more BORING and uneccessary. I am finding it really hard to concentrate at university as well.

One weird thing that is happening is that I seem to start to feel better for a few days, but then I will invitably relapse into being tired (I guess) which I suppose will make me feel flat. This seems to go in 2 week cycles; start to feel better for a bit then back to 'normal', start to feel better after that... then so on.

I don't think its Chronic Fatigue Sydrome because I am still functional, and I have no muscle aches or anything.

So my question to you lovely people is, does this sound like it could be depression? Bascially everyday I worry about how I feel/my condittion and it certainly has stopped me doing things I used to enjoy - but I can't tell if I explicitly feel sad. It seems more like if I wasn't so damn tired all the time I could be happy and enjoy all the things I used to.

Thanks heaps for any help

Alex

PS I am a (previously) healthy 19 year old male

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes.  You do sound like you have the signs of depression: low mood, lack of intrest in things you use to enjoy, physical symtpoms like headaches and neckaches.   Although headaches, neckaches are more typically associated with stress.  But prolonged stress can be a precursor to depression. 

    The other possiblity is that it could be a deficiency in D3/K2, B12, or a thyroid problem.   D3/K2, B12 will require blood work. 

    You can have a thyroid test done but it's wrong most of the time (yes, stupid right).  But it's true.   The best way to know if you have a thyroid problem is to check you temperature first thing in the morning when you get up and before you get out of the bed.   

    If that's low then you need to consider thyroid meds -- even if your doctor says your thyroid hormone is normal. 

    The reason why the tests are worng is because they don't measure what the thyroid does, they measure the amount of hormone the brain creates to tell the thyroid what to do.   This can be low, normal, or high but that doesn't mean anything about your throid. 

    Think of it as petrol in your car.  Just because there is lot of petrol in the car doesn't mean the car will run, if the engine (your thyroid) isn't doing it's job. 

  • Posted

    Hi I was wondering if it could be a lack of vitamin B12.   Did your doctor test you for this?   It is only a simple blood test.  The other thing is you could be anaemic which can cause fatigue. 

    Only a doctor can diagnose depression but there are online tests you can do (just google them)  to give you a guide.  x

     

  • Posted

    Sounds like it could be, I've felt similar for several years and just this last week accepted that I have dysthymia.  Perhaps an important question to ask is whether your fatigue is in line with your activity.  if you have a lot of work, responsibilities and activities then this may be normal (unless you're superman).  You might want to see if the symptoms match yours: http://www.depressedtest.com/dysthymia.html.

    Go to the doctor and get it checked.

  • Posted

    What took me to my doctor was fatigue.  I was working and said every day felt like I was wading through treacle!  It was all such an effort.  I was diagnosed with depression, and that tiredness was the first sign. 

    You could have depression, but then your doctor would diagnose you for that.  He woiuld ask you lots of questions about how you are feeling and that would indicate to him whether he thought you had clinical depression or not. 

    Yoiu also sound as if you have anxiety because you are worrying about your health which is very normal for people with anxiety.  Depression is not sadness, it is the inability to enjoy the things you once enjoyed.  It is a feeling of wanting to withdraw from people.  If you feel you are tired but want to be happy and enjoy things, then in my opinion it is not depression as I know it.  With depression you will find people say there feel they will never feel normal or enjoy life again.  We are pessamists on the whole. 

    The 2 week cycle also does not sound like depression itself.  As there is not any physicall reason for your symptoms, perhaps you should ask your doctor to ascertain if there is anything wrong with your mental health. 

    • Posted

      The problem with depression and how doctors deal with it is different.  In most cases you have a disease they do a blood test and see if it's there. 

      With depression they don't do that.   Even now there are blood tests for it. But they are expensive and most doctors either don't want to do them or wont do them because they are not familair with these tests. 

      And of course they are only expensive not becuase they cost more than any other blood test, it's because you have to see an expert who charges a lot for his private service. 

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