The GirlShrink Depression Quiz
1. Have you felt sad for an unusually long amount of time? Have you been crying for no reason?
2. Do you notice any major changes in your appetite? Do you seem to eats sweets a lot more? Are you eating less?
3. Are you able to sleep through the night? Or have you been sleeping for abnormally long amounts of time?
4. Are you unusually irritable? Angry? Worried about things? Quickly agitated? Feelings of anxiety?
5. Does life seem hopeless or not even worth caring about?
6. Are you constantly tired? Listless?
7. Do you feel guilty all the time? Or do you feel your life is meaningless or worthless?
8. Is it difficult to concentrate or make decisions about things at home or work?
9. Are you unable to have fun doing the things you usually like to do? Are you visiting less with friends? Avoiding phone calls?
10. Have you complained of aches and pains that can’t be physically explained?
11. Do think about dying or killing yourself often?*
*(If so, you should seek immediate help from a medical professional in your area)
Results
If you answered yes to five or more of these symptoms, if these symptoms have lasted for more than two weeks, if any of these symptoms interfere with your work/family life, then you need to consult with your physician for a thorough evaluation.
Print out the screening and with the circled symptoms that applied to you. Take it with you to the doctor. After a complete physical exam and look at your medical history, your doctor should be able to make a diagnosis and create at treatment plan for you. A good plan may include anti-depressant medication, but should always include talk therapy with a recommended mental health professional.
Recommendations
There have been recent studies that prove that online counseling is a sound and safe resource for talk therapy in regards to depression. If you’d like to consider a session of e-therapy even if you are experiencing only one or two of these symptoms–go to GirlShrink Expert Advice.
More Reading
GirlShrink Depression Articles
Disclaimer:
The GirlShrink depression screening is a preliminary screening test for depressive symptoms that does not replace in any way a formal psychiatric evaluation. It is designed to give a preliminary idea about the presence of mild to moderate depressive symptoms that indicate the need for an evaluation by a psychiatrist.
