Indicators of depression - what are they?

[DooinMeCleanin]

I think DH is depressed. He has been for a good few years but won't admit to himself. When his nephew first became ill with cancer his whole persinality changed and he has never changed back again.

He suffers various aches and pains of unexplained cause.

Is always tired and irritable

Is unmotivated

Is angry and agressive

Constantly hungry

Anxious about unexistant medical conditions (i.e he doesn't get migrane, he gets brain cancer)

He can never see the good in any situation and moans and whinges constantly

The man I met and fell in love was not like this. The man I met would go out as a family, help in the house, go out with friends and was generally a much more pleasent person to be around.

Anyone? He is due at the doc tomorrow and i don't want to tell the doc I think he is depressed for the doctor just tell me he is not, he is just an arsehole.

Hi there

Poor you sorry you are going through this, it's really hard to support someone going through mental illness.

I believe there is a scale that Dr.s use to assess severity of depression - I think the things they are looking for are:

• low mood / crying pretty much every day and for at least 3 weeks
• inability to concentrate
• sleep disturbances (too much or too little)
• appetite changes
• irritability
• thoughts of death or suicide / self harm
• hopelessness
• lack of care about personal appearance / hygiene
• lack of motivation / energy
• anxiety

This is not an exhaustive list but covers many of the key indicators of depression.

Hope he gets help from the GP tomorrow. ARe you going with him? It may help things to give your perspective e.g. about how his personality has changed.

He has most of those. Yeah I am going with him. I have told him I will speak to the doctor.

He is getting annoyed because he is going for a job as a Hopital Porter and believes they will contact his doctor and not employ him if they find out he is on ADs. I have tried to reassure him this is not true.

It's good you are going with him. He shouldn't worry about the job, as they are not allowed to discriminate against people for a mental health reason (unless it interferes with their ability to do the job).

Hope it goes ok. Just be honest and say exactly how things have been. Sometimes GPs can take several attempts to take depression seriously - they might want to send him away and "see how things go". I would push for treatment straight away TBH.

Good luck. My husband is also going to the GP today about depression and I came on here to post the same question as you did!

I can't go with him, unfortunately, and he won't discuss it (believe me, it's a miracle he even let me make an appointment) so I think I might email him today with some things I think he should say.

Let us know how you get on.

x

He's been. He has been given Citraplan (sp?) and has to go back in a fortnight to discuss possible counselling.

citalopram, well that's good he has taken seriously. Hopefully this will be the start of things getting better, for all of you.

BTW the side effects of citalopram can be really bad at the beginning but try to get him to persevere if he can.

Yes the doctor told us the first two weeks maybe a lot worse, but to stick with it. He is using the fact that he took a pill about half an hour ago to behave like an utter tosser, so I'm in the dining room ignoring him.

oh dear, hope the next few weeks are not going to be unbearable for you.

I've a feeling the dogs will be getting a lot more exercise , but if it helps in the longrun it will be worth it.