Do you doubt you have depression? Maybe not. Depression is not a simple ‘bad mood’, but a real and far-reaching mental health disease. It may quietly penetrate into every corner of life, disturbing emotions, destroying will, and even interfering with body functions. But not every time a depression means depression—many physical and psychological conditions can show similar symptoms. Therefore, accurately identifying depression and distinguishing it from other diseases is the first step in facing one’s own emotions in science.
This article will take you to systematically understand the typical manifestations of depression and sort out a series of diseases that may be confused with and their identification methods, helping you to understand yourself more clearly and find suitable support and coping methods.
Depression: The key information you need to know
As a common mental health problem, depression can affect individuals’ emotional feelings, thinking patterns and behavior in all aspects. Patients often fall into sadness and lose interest in activities they have been passionate about. At the same time, they may also experience various emotional and physical discomforts, which seriously interfere with normal family life and work.
The symptoms of depression are quite diverse, covering:
- Diet aspect: Appetite changes, and loss of appetite or overeating may occur.
- Body Feeling: I often feel tired and can’t lift my whole body.
- Psychological State: The heart is filled with guilt or feels worthless, the emotions are constantly in a state of sadness or depression, the interest in various activities is lacking, and the energy level is low.
- Extreme Thoughts: Occasionally, you will have the idea of suicide or death.
- Sleep quality: Difficulties in sleep, such as difficulty falling asleep, frequent dreams and easy to wake up.
- Thinking ability: It becomes difficult to think, focus, or make decisions.
- Weight changes: Weight loss or increase in the short term.
If the above symptoms occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor in time. If these symptoms last for two weeks or more and limit normal life function, you are very likely to suffer from depression.
PsycTest official website (psychtest.cn) provides a series of professional self-evaluation scales for depression, which are convenient for everyone to test themselves. The details are as follows:
- PHQ - 9 Depression Screening Scale Free Test : It can screen depressive symptoms efficiently and quickly.
- SDS Depression Self-rated Scale Free Online Test : Helps to Understand the Level of Depression.
-QIDS - SR16 Online Assessment : It can quickly assess the severity of recent symptoms. - Burns Depression Checklist (BDC) : Assessing depression status from multiple dimensions.
-Emotional Self-Assessment Scale: Depression - Anxiety - Stress Scale (DASS - 21) Online Assessment : A comprehensive understanding of one’s emotional state.
-GDS Online Review : Designed for the Assessment of Depression Status in Elderly.
-Baker Depression Scale (BDI-SF) Free Online Test : Concisely and Effectively Assess the Severity of Depression.
-Baker Depression Self-rated Scale BDI - IA : Understand depression from multiple perspectives.
-Hamilton Depression Scale HAMD Online Free Test : a clinically commonly used and highly professional assessment tool.
-Self -rated children’s self-evaluation scale (DSRS-C) online assessment : specially designed for children.
Conditions that are easily confused with depression and methods of distinguishing
Many physical or psychological problems may show symptoms similar to depression, such as fatigue, inattention or depression. Here are common confusion and their key points to distinguish:
1. Anxiety
Anxiety and depression often coexist, with cross-sectional symptoms such as tension, irritability, loss of concentration, and difficulty sleeping. If the main emotions are ‘worry’ rather than ‘depressed’, anxiety may be the main cause. It is recommended to use the SAS anxiety self-assessment scale for free online testing for preliminary evaluation.
2. Attention Deficit/ADHD (ADHD)
ADHD is often intertwined with depression, especially when not diagnosed. If depression comes from continuous attention difficulties and life pressure, you need to be alert to situational depression. You can use the ADHD Adult Self-rated Scale (ASRS) to understand your own situation.
3. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Like depression, PTSD also shows depression, insomnia, anger, or decreased concentration**. However, its typical characteristics are flashbacks, nightmares and other phenomena after experiencing major trauma. You can refer to the PTSD Symptom Self-evaluation Scale (PCL-C) .
4. Bipolar disorder (bipolar disorder)
During the depression period, bipolar disorder manifests very similar to depression, but also includes manic period: manifested as high mood, talking too much, sleeping less, and overenergy. It is recommended to refer to the Young Manic Rating Scale (YMRS) for further judgment.
5. Other situations:
- Anemia: Anemia can cause fatigue and fatigue, and is easily mistaken for depression. However, it is usually accompanied by physiological symptoms such as dizziness, cold fear, palpitations, and sore tongue. Blood tests can be quickly confirmed.
- Diabetes: Diabetic patients often have weight changes, fatigue, and emotional instability, which coincide with the symptoms of depression. However, typical metabolic symptoms such as blurred vision, numbness in the hands and feet, slow wound healing, frequent thirst or excessive urine will also occur.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Continuous fatigue is a common symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, but CFS is more inclined to physiological energy depletion, which may not be accompanied by typical depression. Doctors can help check physiological causes.
- Hyperthyroidism (hypothyroidism): Hypothyroidism and depression are very easy to be confused, and typical manifestations include fatigue, brain fog, depression, and lethargy. But it is an endocrine problem and can be diagnosed through thyroid function tests.
- Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D deficiency can cause emotional fluctuations, fatigue, physical pain, etc., and it is not uncommon to be misjudged as depression. Blood test can be confirmed.
- Hypercalcemia: Symptoms such as irritability, drowsiness, and cognitive decline will occur, but they will be accompanied by increased blood calcium.
- Fibromyalgia: It often coexists with depression, but it also has unique manifestations such as chronic muscle pain, tingling, and stiffness.
- Circular Disorder (Bi Depression): Mood fluctuates quickly, but is usually not as strong as bipolar disorder.
- PMDD (Premenorrhea dysfunction): The symptoms are similar to depression, but ** is highly related to the menstrual cycle, and mood will improve after menstrual period.
Summarize
When they are in a low mood, many people have doubted whether they are ‘depressed’. However, to truly judge whether you suffer from depression, you need to combine multiple symptoms, duration, and whether it seriously affects daily life functions.
If you are experiencing emotional troubles, don’t easily self-diagnose and don’t have to bear it alone. Scientific self-evaluation tools are the first step, but more importantly, seeking help from professional psychologists or psychiatrists.
In the journey of self-awareness, we are all worthy of being understood and supported, and we also have the right to live a lighter and more realistic life.
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