Are "things" getting worse or am I depressed?

[bafta16]

In my personal life, I have been betrayed and denied an inheritance. A long and sad story and I'm not grabby or entitled. Finding it hard to handle and dealing with loss.
Away from that the world seems in a sorry state. Don't engage is the advice along with "join things"

I don't know, I'm reluctant to restart meds somehow.

I’m not sure you sound depressed, just maybe disappointed at the loss of inheritance and the loss of the person who died, which is a totally normal reaction.

The world is a bit of a mess if you read the newspapers, I cried reading a news article yesterday and I’m not currently depressed.

I’m not depressed and am generally annoyingly optimistic. But it does feel like everything has gone to shit and it is getting me down. I am mostly down about how my children’s futures look so much more bleak than mine.

And thats without your additional pressures.

Sorry to hear that.

You're not wrong. Climate crisis, political chaos, wars, cost of living crisis, the mental health of young people in the shitter - it's sometimes hard to find reasons to be cheerful.

But there's a blue sky today and a bit of sunshine in my kitchen. The long tailed tits are in the apple trees down the garden and I can hear a flock of goldfinches.

Tiny things, but enough to keep me sane.

Yes I agree bu tthe dial in my head is going the wrong way.

I would restart the meds. Hope you feel better soon.

I find it helps to separate out what is going on in the world from what is going on in my own life, because they are two different things.

The world is getting worse in lots of ways, but don't let things 'in the news' affect you if they don't actually effect your life directly.

It sounds like you need to allow yourself to grieve.
Take the meds for now - tell yourself it won't necessarily be for long term (unless your GP or specialist says otherwise of course).

You need to be kind to yourself. Sounds like you are having a rough time & trying to deal with grief at the same time.

As another poster said, ignore whats going on in the news/world, you can’t change or control that.

Try and avoid stressors & try and do things that will bring you some joy, give yourself things to look forward to. If the dr recommends meds, take them, there is no shame in getting a little help when you need it.

Speak to your GP. There are recognised questionnaire that ask a variety of questions which will help to gauge if you are struggling with depression. https://assets.nhs.uk/tools/self-assessments/index.mob.html?cookie_consent=true&variant=44

as someone who has suffered on and off for years, ask yourself if advised to take medication for an infection or a pain killer to manager pain, why the reluctantance to take a medication that can help lift your mood enough to work your way out of what is going on too (if a gp uses assessment tools and diagnoses with depression).

Thanks@Howdid , very helpful.

Sounds like you have a lot on your mind, the perceived loss of inheritance, the tangible loss of a loved one and the utter political global mess everyone is caught up in some how.

I would say I detect a small amount of losing hope in your message. Never suffer in silence, I would go and see your GP. Grief comes in many forms.

When I grew up (and some of my teenage ignorance accepted), it all seemed a lot more promising and we gleefully anticipated the future. I hope my DCs feel this, but I look at the looming poor job market, AI taking over jobs and how there seems a lazy / grim / slovenly / increasingly violent culture seeping in to some areas. I really hope I am wrong.

@ Noodles Thanks a useful reply. It's very hard to know. i think the "chemical imbalance" idea seems to have been booted out now. I just don't know any more. I grew up in the 70's. There was more hope about for sure. A lot of my contemporaries are ill or worse. A lot of friends have disappeared from my life.

I do " join things" It's damn hard work though.