{"id":813,"date":"2025-11-06T09:31:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/?p=813"},"modified":"2025-11-06T11:29:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:29:39","slug":"how-do-i-check-if-i-have-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/how-do-i-check-if-i-have-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Check If I Have Depression?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depression is more than occasional sadness it\u2019s a medical condition that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. Recognizing the signs early can help you seek support sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/what-are-the-5-main-symptoms-of-depression\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/what-are-the-5-main-symptoms-of-depression\/\">Common symptoms <\/a>lasting at least two weeks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Persistent low mood or emptiness, even when things seem fine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of interest in hobbies, work, or socializing (things you once enjoyed feel pointless).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Significant changes in appetite or weight (eating much more or less than usual).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sleep problems insomnia, waking early, or sleeping excessively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fatigue or feeling \u201cslowed down\u201d despite resting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, or self-blame over minor issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restlessness or feeling unusually irritable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or self-harm (with or without a plan).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Physical signs can appear too: unexplained aches, headaches, or digestive issues that don\u2019t improve with treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To check if you might have depression:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quora.com\/How-can-you-check-if-you-have-depression-without-counseling-a-psychiatrist-I-felt-like-it-triggers-my-mental-health-but-I-don-t-want-to-think-I-have-one\">Track your symptoms<\/a> daily for two weeks using a journal or mood app. Note intensity (mild, moderate, severe) and triggers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compare against the DSM-5 criteria: at least five symptoms (including depressed mood or loss of interest) nearly every day, causing significant distress or impairment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use free, validated online screeners like the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) or CES-D. Scores above 10 on PHQ-9 suggest possible depression, but they\u2019re not diagnostic tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider context: recent loss, trauma, chronic stress, substance use, or medical conditions (thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies) can mimic or trigger depression.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask trusted friends or family if they\u2019ve noticed changes in your behavior they often spot signs you miss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember: only a qualified mental health professional can diagnose depression. Self-assessment is a starting point, not a substitute for professional evaluation. If symptoms interfere with work, relationships, or safety, prioritize getting help immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Depression is more than occasional sadness it\u2019s a medical condition that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. Recognizing the signs early can help you seek support sooner. Common symptoms lasting at least two weeks include: Physical signs can appear too: unexplained aches, headaches, or digestive issues that don\u2019t improve with treatment. To [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=813"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":854,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813\/revisions\/854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindfulsolutionswa.com\/faqs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}